


Grande Jeté

by Kt_fairy



Category: Actor RPF, The Hobbit RPF
Genre: AU, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Bad Flirting, Dorks in Love, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sexual Content, Teenage Dorks, drug mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-18 17:08:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4713827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kt_fairy/pseuds/Kt_fairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ballet & Swimming AU.<br/>' Why these two random things for an AU, Kt?' I hear you ask. Because I thought why not, and I have no impulse control.</p>
<p>Is success the only thing that matters? Does love conquer all? A tale of love and being too grown up for your age, set oceans apart and with years in between.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. London

**Author's Note:**

> You might know me from the 'Like Real People Do' series. A change is a good as a rest and that's what this is I suppose, taking a break from my own head-canons and canon to take a new, younger, less world wise/weary view.
> 
> All the Ballet is as well researched as one can be without being in the Ballet world, same goes for Swimming. Everything else is guesswork and bullshit.
> 
> As always, the only this that's mine is the dialogue and clunky prose.

After a performance was always a commotion, especially in the first two weeks of a run when you lived in barely contained chaos. Crew tidying cables and scenery away carefully as they were not yet well practised enough to speed through it while crowds of dancers tried to get out of costume, give it back to wardrobe, scrub the stage make up off, and get dressed in the quickest time possible while listening to ‘well dones’ and corrections from directors or choreographers.

 “You’re going to be red raw in a month if you keep having to scrub it off like that.” Miranda nearly had to yell to be heard over the din.

“I’ll just get stronger wipes.”

“That will still ruin your skin, darling.” Hermione called from the other side of the room, the both of them somehow tuned to each others voice after years of talking over crowded dressing rooms.

“No-one else had trouble, it must just be me.”

Arms wrapped around his shoulders and Richard blinked at the hectic reflection of the room in the mirror as Lara pressed her cheek against his temple. “It’s your lovely blue eyes, twin, make-up can’t resist it.”

He considered this for a moment as Rupert wandered into view trying to fix his hair in the empty space at the top of the mirror. “We’ll be on our own with the make-up soon, Rich, then you can regain control of your eyelashes and all will be well with the world.”

“Unless we have a repeat of that time doing Giselle in Birmingham...”

“Hey!” Richard gave up on getting the residue of the mascara off and dragged on a big warm jumper ready to head out into a breezy night along the Thames. “Not my fault you bought the runniest Mascara in the world.”

“Come ooooon!” Lara wheedled, dragging Richard up and shoving his bag at him. “American swimmers are in tonight, we might be able to try and catch a few!”

“Fine, fine, coming, coming! Night Rupert, bright and early for those resets tomorrow yeah?”

“Don’t remind me! Bye man.”

Hermione slipped her arm through Richard’s as they weaved their way down the packed corridor to the stage door. “I thought Lara was going to get up on stage to make a half time announcement about those swimmers being in the audience.”

“Behave, Mi’!”

“Why? She was going on and on about it in the wings!” She beamed up at Richard and he shook his head with a laugh that turned into a hiss as they left the boiling backstage and entered cool night. “Bloody hell.” Hermione ground out as her and Miranda began zipping up coats and twisting scarves around necks.

“You’ll warm up in a minuet.”

“He says that every time.” Miranda sighed, making a half hearted jab at his side that Richard dodged with the same amount of effort. He was looking up the pavement to where Lara’s black curls were bobbing around over her blue blazer as she chatted to several very tall, very broad, very American men. “Looks like the much anticipated sportsmen are just as big fans of ballet as Lara is of swimming.” He murmured, feeling a little mean for the comment but it made the girls laugh so he did not worry about it.

“Come on, got to say Hi now after standing around creeping.” Miranda sighed, unconvincingly put-upon, and headed off up the street with the collar of her green coat turned up against the breeze coming off the Thames, Hermione tugging Richard along.

“They don’t want to talk to me!” He protested and got a sharp look.

“You're going to be polite while being our intimidating back up!" Even Hermione could not sound convinced by that one as Richard laughed out loud.

 “…it’s easier than it looks once you’re used to – everyone, this is Hermione. Hermione this is…” Lara introduced everyone, always so good with names and faces, and Hermione shook every hand with her usual grace. “This is Richard,” Lara cooed as she wrapped both her arms around his forearm, “our Demi-principal and my twin.” Richard thought he did very well not to grimace at that nickname which Lara had slipped into within three day’s of joining the company. An in-joke turned term of endearment that in front of exceptionally tall good looking strangers was a little embarrassing; especially if you were Richard who was almost always in a state of embarrassment.

  “Nice to meet you.” Richard nodded to the group. “I take it you enjoyed our little dance?” His tone was perfectly nice but he still felt Lara digging her fingers into his arm in warning.

“Yeah, I mean – we were kinda sceptical at first about the whole thing, cause yanno, Ballet? Well, for you its not but for us…we didn’t think it’d be so dramatic! and for you to throw the girls around like that, dude!”

“We’re not thrown, thank you! The male dancers boost and we jump.” Hermione corrected, Richard glanced back at her and she winked.

“Oh it was beautiful.” A slight, incredibly pretty girl with beautiful sun kissed freckles splashed across her face appeared out of the crowd of long limbs with the light of wonder in her clear eyes and Richard felt immediately more at ease. “It was all so… I’m a gymnast so what you guys do…The strength you must have…” She cupped her cheeks with her hands. “Oh I loved it so much.”

“You’re very welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed it so much.” Richard answered, suddenly finding only Hermione at his side as another group of dancers had joined Lara and Miranda and moved them down the pavement slightly.

“I made myself watch the men in the second half and you were all so graceful! You never see people talk about that do you?”

That was addressed to Hermione who agreed, “You’re right. It is a shame but same time, it’s one of the few times men are not the centre of attention.”

“And rightly so.” Richard put in, getting a smile from them both and was just about to use that as an excuse to go find some food and get some sleep when a man left the other group and came over to them.

He was taller than Richard, which few people were, broad shouldered and long limbed in that way swimmers seemed to be, all arm and upper body strength, sun-bleached brown hair in the fashionable, but questionable, short-back-and-sides with long on top that did not hide his slightly sticking out ears. He had incredibly friendly eyes, they were the most noticeable thing about him, full of the same warm sunshine that had kissed every freckle across his face into life.

 “Lee?” The girl said, sounding surprised, before realisation dawned on her face. “Oh my lord, I’m Evangeline, called Evie. I was so excited to catch you I didn’t tell you my name!”

“It’s a very pretty name! I’m Hermione.”

“Sisterhood of the long names.” Lee joked, voice smooth and deep despite his young face, and he looked directly at Richard. “And you’re Richard. I was here for the introductions but stuck at the back…”

“This giant goon is an average sized swimmer, can you believe?” Evie sighed, shaking her head at Hermione who nodded up at Richard.

“He’s one of the tallest we’ve got, terrible isn’t it.”

“Why they made me Demi-Soloist, everyone can’t help but see me.”

“Now, I’m sure they gave it to you because of talent.” Lee said, giving Richard a purposeful look that threw him totally for a moment.

“I keep on telling him that, but will he listen?” Hermione covered, Richard not missing the look Evie threw up at Lee; a look of knowing. Evie and Hermione got into a conversation about the process of being up on point so Lee sidled closer to Richard.

“So, what do you guys usually do after that? Must take some time to chill out.”

“Usually find whatever food is going, go home watch something mindless on TV for a bit and gradually all go to bed.”

“You live with other dancers?”

“Oh yeah,” He smiled, sighing internally at how forced he knew it looked, “we keep odd hours, are highly strung, and leave bits of dance shoes everywhere. We can’t put ordinary people through that.”

They stood in silence for a moment before Lee spoke again, “You don’t seem like the kinda guy for a party.” It was out of the blue, but Richard managed a confirmation that yes, ‘going out’ somewhere loud and packed was his idea of hell. “The guys will want to go out. It’s a Saturday and all but…gotta race ya know. Besides...” he smiled and Richard was struck by how handsome he was, “I like exploring.”

Richard felt his eyebrows rise at the sudden thought that his guy, who was obviously few years younger than him, was trying to chat him up? “Is this you asking for a local’s tour of the Southbank?”

“Might be.” He said in such a loaded voice even Lee seemed to realise it was too much and immediately reigned himself in. “I can reimburse you, with coffee or whatever you drink, and food. I got Pounds on me.”

“It’s alright…” Richard looked at everyone else chatting and made up his mind, “…but I’ll take you with me if you think you can find your way back.”

“Yeah, I can Google map myself. Or get a cab, whatever.”

“Cool,” He tapped Hermione on the arm and signalled he was going to find food with Lee, who got a wink off Evie, and they were striding off through the streets. “I’d hate to be accused of kidnapping the US’s rising star at…?”

“Swimming.”

Richard laughed. “I gathered, at what events?”

“Oooh. I do 400m freestyle and backstroke.”

“Wow, that’s a way to swim.” Richard said for want of anything else to say.

“Yep, though I doubt I’ll medal for either. It’s my first Championship so they’re breaking me in.”

“Breaking you in with an Olympics? Throwing you in the deep end literally then.”

Lee grinned at him. “Kinda.”

Richard lead them to a coffee shop that opened late just for the post theatre crowd, Sebastian the only Barista left and he had Richard’s usual order almost ready by the time they got to the counter, Lee taking a moment to stare at the board before asking for the same thing and they went to sit in one of the empty tables by the window, looking out at the dark street with the glow of the north side of the city peeking over the top of the squat building opposite.

“So,” Richard asked once that had got comfortable, “what did you think of the performance?”

“Yeah, it was great!" Lee cleared his throat, "I’d never been before but I loved the way it deviated from classical ballet in the use of the abstract, well what I’ve heard of classical ballet. The openness of form and storytelling really lent weight to the choreography…” He glanced across at Richard who knew he did not look the least bit convinced by any of this “…and I read all of that on Wikipedia.” Richard laughed . “I didn’t want to look like an idiot by not knowing anything…”

“You’re not an idiot, don’t worry. But I’m glad you soaked all that up about Neo-Classical Ballet.”

“I like new things, experiences, learning about them.”

“Was that how Evie managed to drag you all along, a fascination for the new?”

“Nooo, most of us came ‘cause the pretty and wild gymnasts were coming and stayed cause of ballerina’s.”

“I gathered.”

“That obvious huh?”

“You’ll be surprised how many blokes come to the Ballet in the hopes of picking up a ballerina.”

“I’m very sure some have come to pick up the guys too.”

Despite the gentle teasing he usually got from Miranda, Richard could tell a line when he heard one. He was planning to go for an imperiously raised eyebrow when he felt the heat in his cheeks and saw the smug twist to Lee’s grin. Instead Richard sank back slightly into his chair, the excersion of the performance finally catching up with him, rotating his ankle joints in a bad habit he had only half unlearned, scraping the mug over the table top to hold it securely in both hands

“You’re very direct aren’t you?”

“Sure am!” Richard took a sip of his tea to try and hide the small noise he made that was definitely an aborted laugh. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“No, what…” Lee demanded, smiling all the while.

“I’m sorry, you just sounded like you were from the Jetson's or something” Lee did not look offended at all, he looked the like he was never really upset about anything much. “You just sounded…you’re American – I can tell- you just sounded too American then. I’m sorry.” So they chatted, which was nice. To talk to someone not art’s immersed was like stretching out your back after a long sleep. Richard loved the Ballet, you did not get this far without loving it, but talking to people with similar life experiences could get you talking round in circles for weeks at a time.

It turned out swimming was all Lee had wanted to do since he was a kid. He swam, did school work grudgingly, swam some more, went to college, and mainly swam there despite doing an English Literature degree.

“If I ever did a degree I think I would do it in English Literature.” Richard sighed, wrapping his scarf tightly around his neck as they meandered along the pavement after Sebastian finally went home and kicked them out.

“Why don’t you? Gotta have something to fall back on, in case, ya know.”

Richard shrugged, tapping his head in half-believed superstition. “Doing all the things around ballet is what people usually fall back on. Using your money on a degree when you could save it for the end of your career is not the advice we are given.” Lee made an unsure noise but did not say anything else. “So…” Richard checked his watch. “How are you getting home?”

“Uuhhh…” Lee peered at Richard’s watch and tried not to look panicked.

“You’ve definitely missed the last train.”

“…Fuck.”

“Where are your friends?” Richard was surprised he was not more irritated at being left with an abandoned American teenager, who was probably not that much younger than him but Richard was only twenty after all, as said teenager checked his phone and swore again.

“They’ve already gone home…” He did not elaborate but judging but the shifty look on his face Richard could guess what had been assumed.

“You could get a taxi ?” His internal voice rang loud in his ear scolding him for leaving a kid on his own in a strange city. “I could wait with you?” He asked just as a speck of rain hit his nose. Richard sighed as Lee peered at the sky and pulled his jacket over his head. “Come on, you can crash at mine.”

“What? No I’ll be…”

“If you get ill and miss your races I’ll never forgive myself, and neither will the United States.”

“You’re sure?” Lee asked cautiously but had a dirty glint in his eye.

“Yes.” Richard paused. “To sleep, and eat toast in the morning and drink fluids and maybe shower. That’s it.”

“Am I allowed to use the toilet?”

“…I suppose.” Lee grinned and fell in beside Richard as they speedily cut through back streets to the art-deco block of flats that was home for the foreseeable future, managing to get in the front door before the deluge started. “We have a spare bedroom because our housemate moved to Japan last month. So you can sleep there.” Richard whispered as they climbed the stairs.

“Awesome.” Lee’s quiet murmur was more of a purr in the silent hallway, the sound surprising them both into pausing in their stride. They stood in the hallway looking at one other awkwardly; Richard taking a moment to appreciate that Lee was very, very good-looking, before a door clicked open.

“Here’s me thinking you’d gone off to Stratfor…oh hello.” Hermione had the good grace to sound awkward as she peered out of her bedroom door.

“It’s raining.” Lee said, which got a puzzled look from Hermione before she registered the pattering on the windows.

“When isn’t it?”

“I’m putting him in Layla’s old room for the night. Missed his last train.” Richard explained, very glad she had known him long enough to not make any assumptions about bringing boys home.

“Bathroom is last on the left, glasses in the cupboard over the microwave if you get thirsty in the night. You’re both ridiculously tall so Richard should have something that would fit you to sleep in.” She ignored Richard's rolled eyes. “Goodnight.”

“Night!” They chorused as her door closed again.

“She’s nice.”

“She’s great.” Richard raised his voice a little so she would hear him. “I couldn’t do without her.”

“Go to bed, arse kisser!” She called back, the pair of them sniggering as Richard opened the door to the spare room.

“I can sleep in my shorts, you don’t need to lend me anything.” Lee reassured as he hovered in the doorway. “Just some floss or mouthwash maybe?”

“All in the cupboard.”

“Thanks man, really. I am SO grateful.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll see you in the morning.” Lee looked like he was going to lean forward for a kiss and Richard found himself shuffling back half a step.

“I am so sorry, I thought…” Lee began, looking so stricken Richard felt even more mortified.

“I don’t do that with people I’ve…I’ve just met. You’re lovely, Lee. But… that’s not something I do.” He had said it so many times before Richard was surprised that he stumbled over his words.

“That’s cool. Just glad we’re on the same page now…and you’re not upset?”

“Promise.”

“Great. Well, see ya in the morning!”

Richard smiled and waved, of all the stupid things! He managed to turn before his face showed his full embarrassment, trying to not to hurry back to his room where he threw himself on his bed with a groan. It always had to happen to him.

 

 

 

 

 **From:** rarmitage@hotmail.co.uk

                            **Subject:** 400 m backstroke final.

        So what was this about not medalling? Lulling us all into a false sense of security to make winning an Olympic Medal all that more impressive?        

       Hermione and I were cheering you on and now we’re going to be late.

                   Well Done!!!

                     Richard.

 

                        **From:** paceinator@hotmail.com

                      **Subject** : RE: 400m bac…

                          RICCCHHHHHH I WON A MEDALLLL!! So, impressed you did I? 2x best news I had all day ;P Hope you didn’t get yelled at. Just tell ‘em you were helping out that fit swimmer. Srsly tho, thanks guys. It means a lot getting your support. Tell Herm her yelling pushed me on to victory. Yes, am callin Silver as victory, I’m first amongst the losers. I got a rest day in like 4 days. If you’re around I can come show you guys my medal, Lemme know yeah?

                     

 **From:** rarmitage@hotmail.co.uk

                      **Subject:** Re:Re: 400 m…

                        We got in massive trouble. All your fault.

                       We have Sundays off so come whenever, you know where I live.

                            Rich.

 

 

When he glanced up from his phone Lara and Hermione had their heads together, careful not to knock delicate looking head dresses, both shooting grins his way. Richard took a gulp of sports drink as he sent them a look of ‘what??’

“Mi’ was just telling me that your new ‘friend’ won a silver medal, twin.”

“Yeah, he did…”

“Also told me you were looking him up on Wikipedia the day after you guys hung out.” Which he had, but only to check his age because Richard could feel a crush coming on and if Lee was under eighteen he was going to stamp it out right now. Turns out Lee had turned eighteen a couple of months ago which left him unsure of what he should do. Three years difference (from August) was not that much, but when the younger had only just become a legal adult it did not really sit right.

  Richard looked between the two of them and then turned to go and find Graham to ask about the twinge he had felt in his ankle near the end of the second act.

 

 

                            **From:** rarmitage@hotmail.co.uk

                          **Subject:** Re:Re:Re: 40...

                     Hey btw, Hermione say's if your gymnast friend if still around & want's to come see us in the practice room she can get her in.

 

                           **From:** paceinator@hotmail.com

 **Subject:** SO MANY RE:

                  She'll bite all our hands off, 2 day's time okay? Also, dude, this invitation better stretch to me? I wanna see how the magic is done, and find your Meth lab.

 

                           **From:** rarmitage@hotmail.co.uk 

**Subject:** Re: SO MANY R...

                 Thursday is fine, I'll look forward to seeing you.

                 Why would we have a Meth Lab?

 

 

"You would have a Meth Lab..." The loud voice made everyone in the room turn around to the doorway where Lee stood in a t-shirt and shorts looking right at Richard who took a good long moment to work out what he was talking about, "...because Breaking Bad? You do have that over here right?" Lee demanded as he crossed the floor to the corner where Richard was stretching, unaware of the people staring as he went. People did not usually saunter across the dance studios in flip flops.

   He looked even better than Richard remembered from a few days a go, and a lot younger. He could not get involved with an eighteen year old, he had no time for the drama's and needs of teenagers - he barely had the time for it as a teenager.

"Richard wouldn't watch that, not highbrow or silly enough." Rupert pipped up from next to Richard, dragging his attention away from Lee to where he had one blond eyebrow raised knowingly.

"But it's so good! Do you watch it?" Lee asked Rupert, shoving his hands into his pockets and being the first person this dance studio had ever seen slouch.

"Of course, everyone does, Richard is holding out to make a point."

"I'm not!" Richard protested, lowering his leg as he realised his foot was still up on the bar. "I'm just not interested."

"There you go, from the horses mouth. I'm Rupert by the way." He held out a hand and Lee scrambled to shake it, Richard not missing the usual flash of amusement at meeting someone called Rupert.

"Lee, nice to meet you."

"Ah Lee! Nice to finally meet you, heard a lot about you." Rupert refused to look at Richard so he could ignore the many emotions he knew was crossing his face, instead looking past Lee to Evie who Richard had not even noticed enter the room. "Hi, I'm Rupert."

"Evangline, but everyone calls Evie."

"Good to meet you both, I better get back to warming up." He smacked Richard on the back, "He always was more limber than me." This time Rupert faced the universal glare of 'you are going to die' looking apologetic enough for Richard to tone it down to a 'you are going to get maimed later' as he walked away.

"Thank you SO much for the invite, it was so kind of you, and the Ballet. We spoke to your boss, Ian, downstairs, he was so happy we've taken an interest."

"Yeah Sir.Ian is great."

"He's a sir!" Evie gasped as Lee laughed.

"She was going on and on about you to him."

"I was not!" Evie pinched Lee in the arm and from his reaction it genuinely hurt. “I'll just go say hi to Hermione, see you soon Richard."

He nodded as she went, turning back just in time to open his arms to recieve a hug from Lee. His face was hooked over an incredibly strong and broad shoulder so he could see the whole room pretending not to be watching them, pulling away before they could read everything on his face.

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon.” Lee murmured, stepping back to the edge of Richard’s personal space, his tanned face fair on glowing with the happy smile plastered on it. Richard was smiling back, how could be not, and motioned to Evie.

“I don’t think you’ll find this as exciting as Evie will…”

“Was gonna have an explore of the theatre, to be honest. Ian…Sir.Ian said he’d show us around but look’s like it might only be me…” Lee paused for a moment, seeming to read something on Richard’s face. “Does he often invite young men to see his theatre…?”

“What!?” Richard choked, trying very hard not to sound like his scandalised mother. ”No! He’s a flirt, but a professional! You’re not his type anyway,” Richard teased with a knowing grin that had Lee mildly offended for a moment before shoving Richard playfully against the rail. “Shut up and get on with your warm up!”

“I was until you barged in.”

“So you’re not happy to see me then?” Richard made a non-comittal noise, laughing when Lee copied it back mockingly, this time dodging when Lee tried to shove him again.

“Of course I’m happy to see you. We don’t often get visitors.” Richard glanced around the room at the people still pretending to not be watching, his earlier certainty this was impossible wavering under how easily they got alone. “People can get intimidated by ballet, and it’s dancers.”

“Don’t worry,” Lee said with a self confident wink, “I don’t scare off so easy.”

 

                                                                                                                           

                                                                               --------------

"Looks like someone’s jealous.” Hermione cooed from over Richard’s shoulder making him nearly jump out of his skin. He looked back at the email more carefully after swiping at her ineffectually, turning back to Hermione who was already on the other side of the room breaking into the hummus.

“What? No, how…” He glanced at the email again, “What?”

“I can hear the passive aggressive all the way from here.”

“Passive…where?”

Hermione straightened, leaning the hand holding the carrot stick on the counter as she spoke to the window. “ 'Matt wanted me to say he really liked meeting you today, said you guys had lots of fun and is really sorry he couldn’t come say bye to you'.”

He was glad Hermione was not looking so she would not catch the flash of guilt on his face because yes, Matt had been very solicitous while Richard waited for Lee to arrive from the last place he had been late to. Matt had also been very charming, so at ease just like Lee was but with more of a smooth Texas drawl, plus he looked like a bloody Ken Doll with his wonderful hair, perfect face, and overly blue eyes. Something he thought Lee might have caught him noticing when Matt had changed shirts in the middle of their shared room before excusing himself with a treacle slow smile thrown back at Richard. Something he now knew Lee had obviously noticed which made Richard feel terrible and at the same time annoyed because Lee had no claim on him and like nothing had ever happened with Lee and Matt!

That thought just made Richard feel even worse, it was beneath him to assume things like that. Richard gave the back of Hermione’s head a blank look until she turned back to him and then he threw up his hands in exasperation. “So if he is jealous I should put that to rest, but if he’s not he might get suspicious.”

He sunk back heavily in the chair as Hermione nodded. “Pretty much, you’ve got the hang of this dating thing.” She crunched loudly on the carrot stick. “How long is it anyway until he leaves for –perhaps- ever?”

Richard took a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly as he tipped his head back to stare at the smoke alarm looking down on him unsympathetically. He was too tired to deal with all this, the satisfying muscle deep fatigue of physical exertion had now faded into a groggy mind and aching body. Getting any attachment to someone in another intense profession, who lived in America, and was eighteen, was not what he needed- especially if they were prone to fits of jealousy.Whether he wanted it or not was just going to have to be a possible regret in ten years time.

“When does that ever matter?”

 

                                                                                   --------------

 **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace_ **:** Hanging out with my friends from the Nat Ballet. Might not get my SILVER Medal back. Send swans quick

 **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace_ : You all read right. I got friends in the @ENballet . Still need those swans, one of them is spinning in kitchen wi medal on.

 **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace :_ been told it’s not spinning its pirouetting. get it right U guys!

                                                                                                                       

“We should swap numbers.”

Richard smiled over at Lee who was standing slightly nervously next to him, all passive-aggression over Matt blowing over before it had even an issue. “You’re going to be in America.”

“No shit!” Lee already had Richard’s phone and held out his own. “Yeah, we can still whatsapp and shit. And just in case one of us ventures to the other side of the pond.”

“The pond?” Richard asked as he worked out how to type in his number on Lee’s brand new iPhone. “How long you been here? People don’t even call it that here anymore.”

“Not long enough…” Lee said quietly before stretching, long arms nearly brushing the kitchen ceiling, “And too long, missin’ the family.”

“I thought they had come over?” They had barely known one another three weeks, but everything was so familiar it seemed much longer; Richard did not know how to feel about that.

“Yeah but they’re all gone to Paris and Rome, making the most of it.” They handed back phones, Lee holding onto Richard’s for a moment as his eyes flickered between his eyes and lips. “We might not be back for a while.” He made a movement forward again, questioning eyes on Richard.

  He had not lied the last time, he really did not get involved with people he did not know and he did not really know Lee. _Yes but_ , Hermione’s voice rang in his head, _you've been moping about this for weeks, live a little for chirstssake._

So he wet his lips and moved in only to be pounced on by Lee who had a lot of youthful enthusiasm. Big hands held Richard’s face as he did the kind of mouth plundering Mills & Boon liked so much – Richard supposed- his fingers grabbing Lee’s polo shirt to try and stop them both overbalancing. They parted when Hermione made a noise (a knowing noise, Richard could tell) from the living room, Lee smiling like the cat who had shoved it’s tongue in the cream’s mouth and Richard smiled back because he was not really able to judge this situation. “I wish I could stay longer.”

“Me too.” Richard whispered and found, with a hollow sense of disappointment, that he meant it.

 

 

 


	2. Manhattan

“Well would ya look at that.” Lee muttered to himself, hands on his hips, as he took in the poster outside the New York School of Ballet.

 Lee had been out for an exploration of Manhattan having never been in the city for any length of time before. He had moved up here for a little while to stop him throttling all his team mates down in Texas and was relishing the freedom of just wandering. It had only been a matter of time before he Gravitated towards the Ballet School, he usually went to see what the nearest company was putting on if only to report it back to Richard for his opinion.

 What he had not expected to see was a glossy poster announcing the visit of some of the principals from the English National Ballet, closer inspection of the list of names revealed the one he had hoped to see.

  Amazingly over the past three years Lee had not fallen out of contact with his ‘If Only’ from London - all worries about losing their fragile but easy connection easing within a year as every week Lee would send off an email and a week later one always came back. They would occasionally have marathon chats too, like when Lee won the USA , Americas, and World titles he had been pinned to his Whatsapp afterwards talking to Richard, nearly missing all three of those celebrations. Or the one time when Richard was buzzing too much to type so had Skyped Lee to tell him he had been promoted to Soloist, they had spoken for so long an impromptu party had gathered in Richard's apartment and Lee had spotted a few big, tall, handsome men beaming at Richard that had made him feel a little put out.

Not that he had any right to feel jealous; he had not exactly been a monk since he left London.

 Lee was smiling to himself as he pulled out his phone, ignoring the looks a gaggle of dancers gave him as they barrelled out the doors he was standing next to, scrolled down to his latest flagged message from Richard which he had not had a chance to read yet.

          "…alsooo a load of us are having to endure being sent to New York for a thing with their Ballet. How selfless are we getting a two week free holiday? Sorta                 free holiday, giving ‘displays’ (w/e that means) to some of the kids and then doing a recital! Haven’t done one of them for years…”

 Lee swore at himself for not reading the email sooner, then backed away from the wall so he could take a picture of the poster, this time moving out of the way of the dancers exiting the building who gave him more charitable looks when they saw what he was doing.

 He put the picture on their whatsapp conversation and was making his way across the Brooklyn Bridge for pre-dinner swimming when a reply pinged back.

                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                      _Please tell me you didn’t go to New York especially_

   course I did!

  Gotta take the chance to see my fav Ballet dancer again!

                                                                                                      _I’m the only one you know!_

Nah, just here for a change of scene.  Seeing you guys is a bonus.

                                                                                                        _I’ll be so busy you should have just come in the second week_

_Oooohokay. Yeah lemme know when you’re around and I’ll break you in._

What happened to you being so busy?

                                                                                                        _We’ll be arriving weds._

_That’s when I thought you were slacking._

 

Lee was surprised Richard knew the word ‘slacking’ but kept that to himself as they chatted on until Lee sent a picture of his bare feet on the edge of the pool to show why he was going to go quiet.

 Two and a half hours later in his kitchen he checked his phone and found a picture taken in a dance studio mirror of the bottom half of someone standing in fifth position (he had read the Wikipedia Ballet page several times by now), long black shirt hanging down to mid thigh, long elegant legs clad in cream ballet tights with matching shoes on his feet.

 

  Shame that shirt is in the way :P

 

  He stood there with a grin on his face as he read back through the messages before his stomach rumbled, the phone pinging again when he was looking through the fridge.

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                  _Trust your imagination is good enough to fill the blanks_

 

  Lee laughed loudly; excitement giving him an unexpected thrill of energy that killed stone-dead his plans of Netflix and chicken in bed.

  He slammed the fridge door shut with a flourish and went to grab his shoes; this called for enough Pizza to make him so sluggish he would sleep because he was no longer that thirsty kid of three years ago who at the slightest dirty thought used to jack off to that one picture from the programme of his first Ballet, of Richard twisting in one long well toned graceful line to catch Lara . 

                                                                                  --------------

 

Lee’s sister had arrived barely unannounced with her family– she had told him about the visit just as they were setting out -  at the end of the week so they took over his apartment and his free time for a good few days, then his coach had popped by to see how he was doing, so when a day finally came where he was free Richard had been in the city over a week.

  Even with the unexpected influx of guests they were talking at every free moment; Lee getting the feeling Richard was glad for the time to settle in before Lee came crashing back into his life. He did not blame him as they both had a limited idea of how the other had grown and changed over the intervening years and Lee knew he had been heavy handed at best and erratic at worst with Richard back then. What he was like as a eighteen year old kept on coming back to Lee now, usually leaving him shrivelled inside with a cringe standing in the fresh produce isles of grocery stores or waiting to cross the road.

  Now he was finally alone again he sent off a series of apologetic messages, then one asking if he could come see Richard. Then Lee got nervous about the reply so went and did laps for three hours before checking his phone again. 

  Richard was as pleasant and chill as Lee had ever know him about the whole thing, telling him to come whenever he liked as he was just helping out in a master-class, so Lee was out in the stifling New York sunshine before his hair had dried from the shower.

 

 The woman sat behind the front desk in the Lincoln Centre recognised him but was professional enough not to say anything, eyes widening a fraction when he said who had had come to see. “If you’ll just sign in here, sir, I’ll call up to the studio and I’m sure he’ll be right down.”

  On the wall opposite her desk there were row upon row of pictures showing ballerina’s all holding positions perfectly alongside HD captures of the money shot from some productions dating back to the 40’s. Below them were a line of chairs where a sniffy looking young girl sat with a glass of water and her Avengers backpack resting on her feet. Lee eyed her a moment and decided to give her space, kneeling on a chair as far away from her as he could be to take a closer look at a photo.

 The sound of doors opening and closing echoed through the corridors leaving snatches of music in the stillness, Lee glanced over when the door into the foyer clicked open and, after all this time, there was Richard.

  He looked genuinely pleased to see Lee as he let the door close gently behind him, still as careful and unobtrusive as Lee remembered. But he was no longer slender and soft faced with youth, he had gotten broader, stronger, growing into his height perfectly, his shoulders were set back with confidence this time not awkwardness. The time they Skyped had not done him justice, somehow he had gotten better looking, face more angular, eyes more blue, the scruff on his cheeks definitely helping.

  Lee stood up, wondering in what way’s he had changed in the past three years, and threw his arms open. “Leap to me, Rich!” His voice loud in the echoing foyer and Richard laughed at him, warm as ever.

“You wish.” Lee could swear his voice had gotten deeper as he came and hugged Lee tightly without the macho back slapping he was used to. “It’s great to see you again.”

“Same. I was beginning to think we’d need another London Olympics.”

“That’ll be the time after this.” Lee really, really hoped it was not. “You look great, this swimming thing agrees with you.” Lee’s hand immediately went to his hair, remembering the ill advised shaved sides he had when they first met and very glad he had soon changed to a style that hid his sticking out swimmers ears.

 “You look good to, been working out or..?” He joked to cover the fact that Richard did look good, even while wearing beige ballet shoes, burgundy leggings and a grey t-shirt that Lee knew dammed well had all the girls (and some guys) making heart eyes at him.

“Doing a bit when I can.” Richard pumped his arms in the air in an approximation of doing weights, treating Lee to a gun show. That was also when they seemed to simultaneously become aware of two sets of eyes on them, Richard throwing a smile at the secretary and then spotted the girl behind Lee. “ Hey, ’scuse me a moment, mate.” He patted Lee on the arm and stepped around him. “Oletta darlin’, how you feeling?”

The girl gave a weak shrug. “Alright I guess. Feel a bit better out here.”

“Yeah, it does get rather hot with lots of others in a studio. Getting over excited doesn’t help, either.” The gentle, knowing tone in his voice made Lee smile and so did Oletta, giving Richard a guilty, gap-toothed grin. “You’ll be right as rain once you get home. I look forward to seeing your excellent _Sauté’s_ tomorrow.” She nodded vigorously, the well tied bun of thick black hair not wobbling one inch, giving a happy little squirm in her seat as she mumbled a, “See ya tomorrow, Richard.”.

“You’re great with the kids.” Lee whispered as Richard led him through the corridors that smelt of chalk, clean sweat, and wax.

“I just talk to them like their adults, really. Mainly because I have no idea how to talk to kids.” He paused as their corridor ended on a hallway that cut across them, hands planted on hips that Lee could not help notice were rounder than he was used to seeing, then had to make an effort to stop noticing. “Bugger, Graham usually leads me… it’s this way.”

“Who’s Graham?”

“Our indispensable physio’. He used to work here so we just follow him around.”

 Richard got them lost twice in the long corridors, which according to Hermione when they eventually found the right room was good for him as Richard was always lost. He did not deny it which made Lee and the class of sixteen year old's laugh.

 “I don’t think I have security checks to sit in on a lesson,” Lee spoke up when it looked like that was what was expected of him, “so I’ll see you later?”

He was met with a chorus of protest; word of who he was must have spread quickly while Richard was gone. A chair was found for him by the resident Ballet teacher who stood firmly at his side for the next half hour as the physical embodiment of the security check.

  “Right, lightning quick explanation to Lee of what we’re doing.” Hands shot up all over the room. “Zhang.” Hermione picked.

“We’re practising _Grande Jeté.”_

“Which is? Kate.”

“Basically a forward jump with a split.”

“And how hard is it, Carlos?”

“I’ve been doing them in my sleep, ma’am.” That got a ripple of giggles that stopped abruptly with a clap of Hermione’s hands and they all huddled in one corner of the room.

 The display of flying leaps that took place was so impressive Lee found himself applauding at the end much to the delight of the class.

“Those were very, very good. I am impressed, which does not happen often." Hermione turned to Richard with a smile, "If you would be so kind as to demonstrate the technique for the class.” He obediently went and stood at the other side of the room so he would be running past the huddle of kids. “Everyone, eyes on arms and back, and on his feet on landing.”

  If Lee had been impressed before now, the two huge mid air splits executed right in front of his eyes left him in a little bit of shock. He knew Richard was good but had never quite realised before just how good. The only other person Lee had seen do that was Evie and she was half Richard’s size in every way. It made him shift in his seat as he suddenly found himself having to think about public swimming pools to stop him getting arrested for public indecency in front of minors.

 “Were we paying attention?” Hermione’s voice cut through the room and Lee’s sudden decline in self control, all eyes suddenly snapping to her. “No we were not. Again please Richard.” He did another two going diagonally back across the room while Hermione reminded everyone, ‘Arm, back, front leg, feet!”

 Richard came and sat down next to Lee while the kids tried again, this time with Hermione shouting corrections as they went. “This isn’t the most exciting thing, we can go sit in the canteen if you want?” He whispered, Lee glancing down to find him nearly bent in half, legs straight out on the floor in front of him with his chin nearly on his knees, the bumps of his spine and the lines of the muscles in his shoulders pressing through the material of his t-shirt.

“Don’t you need to…how are you doing that?”

“What?” Lee waved his hand at Richard who looked around at himself. “Magic, Lee. Fresh from Hogwarts.” Lee gave him a sarcastic eye roll and turned his attention back to Hermione, deciding against the shove he would have given any of his training buddies as he did not know how delicate dancers were, despite their obvious strength, and decided to err on the side of not causing months of damage.

 The class ended a little while later, the resident teacher gathering the kids on the other side of the room to go over the usual school stuff as Hermione finally came to give Lee a hug. “Not brought any shiny medals this time, champion of the world?”

“Do you have them with you?” Richard eagerly cut off Lee’s reply, still sat on the floor.

“Nah, back home with my Mom.”

“He’s not gonna bring gold medals around with him, is he!”

“What? You never know.” Richard protested as he pushed hair out of his eyes and set about taking off his dance shoes.

 “If I’d been on top of my emails I wudda brought ‘em, just for you ‘Mi.”

“Hold you to it.” She said, giving Lee an appraising look and a tight-lipped smile that turned into a purposeful look at Richard when he finally stood up.

“Are you doing anything later?” Richard asked abruptly, Lee not missing the death grip he had on his shoes.

“Just swimming, like I usually do.”

“Oh…do you have to do it at a certain time?”

“Nope, whenever I want. S’long as I put the hours in.”

“Okay, well…um…there’s…we’re all going out, a bit later not right now gotta shower and all that, all of us – for dinner that is. Everyone that’s come on the trip. At this restaurant on east 41st street that Orlando, our Principal, says it does great steaks umm…you wanna come?”

 Looking back at this in twenty years time telling this all to his kids Lee would be able to name the sensation of being totally enchanted by the rambling offer of a date. But right now his twenty year old self thought he had just fallen in love, such was the feeling of his heart swelling in his chest and the grin he had stuck to his face for an hour afterwards.

“I would really like to come. Is it fancy a place?” He asked Richard, who looked back at Hermione who gave him a nod, which Richard relayed back to Lee. “I’ll have to have a dig through my suitcase then.”

“Tell me about it. I only own two nice shirts and one is still in the plastic.”

  

  Lee spotted the crowd of super fit people in sensible shoes from when he turned onto the street, Richard eventually catching sight of him over the other pedestrians and pulled his hands out of his pockets to wave. A guy who was shorter than Richard with a mop of artfully bouncy brown hair and the sort of soft ever youthful face that usually belonged to those at ease with the world caught sight of the wave and spun around to look at Lee with big, warm brown eyes.

“You know how to pick ‘em Rich.” Lee caught him mutter to Richard who seemed to ignore him in favour of smiling at Lee.

“Hey, find us okay then?”

“Yeah man,” Lee pulled Richard into another hug despite them only having parted ways three hours ago, “spot you guys a mile off.”

 “And what is that supposed to mean,  Mr Huge-shoulders Mc goggle-marks?”

Lee's hand immediately went to his face as he touched his nose self-consciously to see if Richard was actually mocking him, feeling incredibly warm when Richard pulled his hand away with a 'tisk' that made it clear he was only teasing but did not let go when he turned to introduce him.

 “You know Hermione…met Lara before…that’s Adam … Graham… and this is Orlando.”

“Swimmer man! Heard lots about you from these guys.” The guy who turned out to be Orlando pointed over his shoulder to Lara who did not look the least bit sorry for the gossiping.

Orlando was great, he sat opposite Lee and they got on with the ease of those with similar outlooks on life, wanting to soak up all the experiences of others and the details of their chosen vocations, the rest chipping in occasionally as they analysed the menu’s. They all somehow managed to stay on their diets during dinner, everyone loudly banning Richard from getting chocolate ice-cream which had him laughing, leaning against Lee’s shoulder in fake disappointment. Lee put his arm around Richard, playing along by comforting him, and left it there.

   The arm slung over Rich’s shoulder got a raised eyebrow from Orlando before he turned to tease Adam about something, the reaction from others was more marked, from a fierce look from Graham to a full on leer from Lara.

 

  “I’m…I take it you caught the looks from everyone..?” Rich muttered, hands shoved deep into his pockets as they hung back from the rest of the group that meandered along the sidewalk.

“Yeah, looks like I got caught by the parents.” Lee joked but got a half laugh, half grimace in return.

“It’s me, they’re not used to seeing me so…” Rich let out a long sigh, glancing everywhere before looking up at Lee. If there had been a can to kick Lee was sure he would be doing it. “…I’m not that touchy-feely around people, new people...well people I haven't known forever.” A half smile quirked his mouth. “You might have noticed.”

 “Is this you’re way of saying I make you feel all warm and fuzzy?”

“Shut up.” Rich groused, but was smiling as they bumped shoulders.

   It was a balmy night bordering on becoming the uncomfortable, sticky sort of humid that made doing anything awful no matter how fit you were – so Lee was glad when he got into the air conditioned hallway of the townhouse the New York Ballet had put them up in.  Lee stepped aside to let Richard pass, he had his outer shirt in hand so the navy tank-top he had on underneath treated Lee to the pale line of Richards neck and the deceptive curve of his strong shoulders. 

 Lee stood where he was, helpless to stop his eyes taking the scenic route down Richard’s back to watch the swell and sway of his bum under slightly loose jeans, remembering himself when Rich paused to wait for him halfway along the corridor. Lee glanced towards where everyone else had congregated in the den before following Richard out back into the small enclosed patio that was a mess of mis-matched chairs, mugs, and oversized plant pots sat in the lights cast from the surrounding buildings.

“Yeah, sorry it’s a mess. Wasn’t expecting company.”

“Seen worse.” Lee shrugged, Richard arched a eyebrow at him, eyes wide with amusement and something else. Something warm that was almost like want.

Lee took a stride forward and stopped when Richard jumped at the sudden movement, the surprise fading when Lee reached out to take his hand gently in his own. “I know we’ve been talkin’, 'though it’s been a while and we’ve both got older, but I still like you a whole lot. I’d like to kiss you again, if that’s okay?" Lee gave his winning smile, "Promise I’ve gotten better.”

 Richard laughed. “I wasn’t gonna say anything, not like I’m an exper…” He trailed off and Lee realised he had been staring at his lips. Richard’s free hand slipped around to press against Lee’s spine, pulling him closer as Richard tilted his head up and brushed their lips together. 

 Lee took that as permission, letting go of Richard’s hand to cup his face so he could press their lips together securely, making the effort to be smooth and gentle to make up for his youthful enthusiasm of three years ago. He was so busy concentrating on the feel of Richard’s lips and the slightly rough slide of his tongue that the sharp edge of Richard’s teeth pressing into his lip surprised him enough to jerk away, those teeth tugging gently at his lip and making him groan as his dick showed an interest.

 “Should I say sorry or offer to do it again?” Richard murmured, breath warm on his wet lips, and it made Lee groan again, moving them across the patio until Richard bumped into the neighbours wall with a dull thump.

   While one hand cradling Richard’s head to keep it off the wall, Lee’s other sneaked up the front of his top to feel the movement of his soft abs as he heaved in breaths. “I don’t have any condom’s…” Lee breathed.

Richard pressed his head into Lee’s hand so he could look him steadily in the eye. “Even if you did they would not be getting any use tonight.” He said firmly, the gentle tone of his voice lessening any harshness that might have been there.

 Lee looked over Richard’s pale, flushed face, as he brushed his hair back off his forehead. “Is my hand okay up your shirt? Should we have a list of boundaries…”

“You’re so sweet.” Rich whispered, kissing him against softly. “Thank you, for being so understanding. But I just don’t have sex this close to performances because…better not to make anything sore or...stiff.” His ears blushed so Lee kissed his cheeks. “Also we were always told, probably just an old wives tale, to not to – to keep our energy up and all that.” His ears were burning and Lee found himself smiling helplessly.

 “When have you gotta be in tomorrow?”

“Afternoon, why?”

“Wanna come swimming with me in the morning?”

The flush on Richard’s face drained immediately, his mouth pressing into a thin line as he seemed to look to one of the chairs for courage before saying. “I’ll come watch, don’t have anything to swim in.”

Lee opened is mouth to offer a loan of trunks, even a cheeky offer to teach him to swim, but his brain caught on just in time that it was not inability but fear, so instead he offered breakfast. “I know this little place called IHop, a very quaint little diner.”

“You piss-taker, I know what IHop is! Yeah, I think I will come join you for breakfast.” Lee lent in to kiss him again but stopped when Richard cocked his head suddenly. “Did…was that a line?”

“No! You already said no…”

 “You should use it in future, it’s a good one.” Richard’s hands patted Lee on the bum before running over the expanse of his back, hands slowing as he seemed to  notice Lee was stood their taking him in as he let Richard touch him.

“You’d remember and tease me mercilessly while eating breakfast food.”

 Richard looked like he did not know whether to smile or not, making to say something but paused for a moment before continuing, “I didn’t realise until a little while ago, that... I do really like you, that it wasn't just a...whirlwind romance, as it were, for me.”

 “Well I liked you a whole lot since I was a brat in Hollister with a dumb haircut so…”

“I noticed.” Richard said with a small smile, nodding towards the chairs. “We gonna sit down or should I get more comfortable against this wall?”

                                                                                                   

                                                                         -----------------

 He had been recognised almost upon entering. Lee had hoped the unexpected sight of him dressed up and at the Ballet would throw people off but he was not unduly surprised – being 6”5 tended to draw attention and he had been splashed all over the media a few months back as Swimming's latest golden boy.

 The tickets Richard had got for him were in the section with other VIP’s which had stopped him from being approached before the performance or during the interval, he just had to be very aware of himself as faces and phones turned in his general direction. Afterwards as an usher lead him backstage he was stopped a few times for selfies or to shake someone’s hand or to answer “Yeah, got a friend up there so came to support” when asked why he was there and laughing politely when various allusions to ballerina’s were made.

  He was told to wait by some of the lighting crates while the stage manager when to find Richard in the packed backstage area, Lee testing if he could lean on them but they shifted under his weight so he stuck his hands in his pockets and watched the crew tidy up.

“Ohmygod do you seeee who is standing around up there?” Lee heard faintly from behind his crates, just stopping himself from turning around at the familiar, nerve wracking chatter of teenagers.

 “Is it Lee Pace? He is so fucking hot…I’d love to get him wet.” There was a peal of overly eager laughter quickly hushed into sniggering.

“Joy oh my god, you can’t just say that!”

“He can’t hear me.”

“But did you hear? Shona saw him and London Rich getting lunch out like four times, just the two of them.”

“Who?”

“Lee Pace and London Rich…”

“They’re totally fucking.”

“Do you think so?”

“I ship it so hard!”

That made Lee want to turn around to ask what the hell that meant but just then a flushed and damp haired Richard bounced up to him.

“Look at you all smart! Did you enjoy it? Were the seats okay? I thought you would see better from the front of the circle but they put you with the VIP’s which is what you are I suppose…” He gabbled as he leant up to hug Lee tightly; he smelt of grease paint and chalk while being impossibly warm in Lee's arms.

  “Seats were great, thank you. And I loved it. That modern French thing you did? You were playing a drunk guy*? I laughed so fucking hard. I don’t know how you made that …” He used a finger to demonstrate the wide travelling spin that had so impressed him, “…through the air fit with all that staggering and flopping around.”

 Richard looked so pleased to hear that it practically radiated off him. “Really? I’m so glad to hear that, I never thought I’d be able to do that when Sir.Ian, our choreographer in London - you met him didn't you?- suggested it for my repertoire. That’s really…and I was funny?”

“In a good way, the best way. And I liked the Diana and Acteon thing when you nearly took out the lights with that jump. Dramatic af.”

“That was the desired effect.” He beamed up at Lee for a moment. “We’re having an after party down the road in a bit, won’t be late cause we’re all exhausted. Coming?”

“Well yeah…”

“Cool, give me five minuets okay.”  He made to peck Lee on the lips then must have spotted the group of kids who had been chatting earlier. He thumped Lee on the arm in a slightly too butch way, grimacing at himself as he turned away.

 

Twenty minuets later they were all traipsing down the loud sidewalk, Lee carrying Richard’s sports bag while he was loaded up with his own and Hermione’s bag’s of Thank You presents while she wrestled with a very enthusiastic bunch of flowers.

 “I wish I got flowers at the end of stuff.” Richard sighed.

“We live together, you see them every day.” Hermione pointed out.

“Not the same though...” He glanced up at Lee, “I like how they make every room brighter.”

“If you come see me compete, I’ll give you mine.” Lee promised, waiting until Richard looked away smiling to grin.

“Confident you’ll medal, then?”

“If you were watchin’ I’d make sure it was gold.”

Hermione made gagging sounds.

 

 The party was at a typical Broadway bar, one large room of chic expansive décor that was on the tacky side with cocktails and champagne expensive enough for tourists, house wines and beers cheap enough for the actors and dancers from the surrounding theatres.  

When Lee had stood up to chat with the head choreographer of the New York Ballet he had his tie on and Richard had been serenely sipping a glass of red wine as he gossiped with a couple of resident American dancers while sat in a red leather upholstered booth. By the time Lee came back from a different conversation near the dance floor with the company’s dietician his tie was in his pocket and Richard had a couple of empty wine glasses, several beer bottles, and two empty shot glasses surrounding him as he sat gesticulating wildly at Graham.

 “Leelee Pad. Hahahaaa.” He greeted Lee when he spotted him.

 “Oh dear, someone been buyin’ you drinks champ?”

Richard nodded while Graham, who looked incredibly indulgent of the silly drunk next to him, explained in his thick Scots brogue. “This one’s too polite te say no. Gone ann’ go’ himself hammered, ‘aven’t ye’?”

Richard nodded solemnly this time, “Very generous. I am a bit drunk an’ I would like ta go ‘ome please.” The alcohol had smudged Richard’s RP into a regional accent that Lee thought was all kinds of adorable

“I can take ‘im if ye’ want to stay fer a bit?”

“Gosh no! This is your afterparty too. I’m his date anyway…”

“He’s ma date Graham, ya’ear that!”

 “Aye I did laddie. Well done.” Graham kept a hand on Richard as he steadily pulled himself up. “Lee’s gonna get you home and inte bed so you can _sleep_ this off.” Lee met the purposeful look and nodded his assurance that yes, Richard would only be sleeping tonight.

 “I gotta get…I gotta get ma stuff.”

“Don’t worry man, I got it all under control.” Lee ducked to pick up all their bags from under the table. “You just concentrate on looking sober enough to get us a Cab.”

“I’m performer ya know.” Richard muttered as he turned, waving haphazardly to the people wishing him good night as he made his way out onto the sidewalk with the care of a drunk. Lee shepherded him to the curb, enjoying the warmth of the long line of Richard leaning against him despite the heat of the evening.

“You alright man?”

Richard nodded, “Don’t ya need te whistle fur the cab?”

“Not really…” Richard made a disappointed little ‘oh’ sound, so Lee dropped what he was carrying to hold up one hand and stick fingers in his mouth to whistle with the other. A cab screeched to a halt right in front of them much to Lee’s surprise, Richard laughing in delight next to him.

 The cabby caught their accents and chatted with Lee about what a Texan and a Brit thought of New York while Richard flopped against his door, humming along to the radio as he watched Lee, their long legs tangled in the cramped footwell.

 Lee managed to get Richard up the steps and through the front door with ease, thanking God he was not a stubborn drunk, watching from the doorway as he span into the open space of the hallway belting out the Taylor Swift song that had been playing in the cab. This much noise was nothing on a New York Friday night so Lee took his time tidying away the shoes and jacket Richard had managed to shed upon arrival and find somewhere for the bags he was carrying.

 “Let’s get you some…” Lee pressed his hand against Richard’s shoulders to steer him towards the kitchen but Richard turned suddenly, gripping at Lee’s hair to drag him down against his lips before Lee could blink. He slipped his arms around Richard’s waist, splaying his hands over his back and pulling him in closer, Richard jutting his hips forwards so they were pressed together up to their chests.

  Being drunk made Richard’s lips slow and his tongue lazy but did not seem to effect his memory of what nipping at Lee’s lips did to him, moaning loudly into Lee’s mouth when he stiffened against Richard’s stomach, taking the opportunity to grind himself against him. Lee pulled back with a gasp, holding Richard tighter against him to stop his movements despite the primal part of his brain screaming at him to keep going.

“I think we should fuck.” Richard whispered against Lee’s face, pulling a groan of frustration from him.

“As much as I like that idea, and I really do,  you’re drunk.”

“Yeaaaah…” Richard admitted in a small voice, wrapping his arms around Lee as he pressed his face into his neck. “Sorry you ‘ave ta wait so long.”

“Don’t you apologise. It’s alright to go at your own pace.”

Richard sniggered, planting a sloppy kiss on Lee’s jaw. “Can ya’ stay? For an ‘ands free sleep over?”

“I think I can manage that.”

“…not totally ‘ands free…”

  “Okay, okay. I think I can manage that too. But first you need to get up those stairs.” 

 

  **Lee Pace** _@pac_ _einator_ **: “** @NYDailyNews: Swimming star @paceinator visiting new Ballerina squeeze? nydn.us/7JHnydp” HAHAHAHA, good one.

 

There was a party down the road somewhere, the noise of chatter and the thud of music trickling in through the cracked-open window. The blanket Richard had acquired from someone else’s room was rough where it brushed Lee’s neck but he resisted the temptation of slipping under the covers despite the fact that Richard was fast asleep, exhales loud but not jarring, the ease of sleep giving his face a youthful softness helped by the slight parting of his lips. With all his skill and maturity Lee found himself forgetting Richard was only twenty-four.

  Lee craned his head forward and brushed a kiss to his nose, feeling very proud of himself when a small smile pulled at Richard’s mouth before he settled back into sleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Les Borgeois Gentilhomme, a 20th century ballet by George Balanchine. Very slapstick, very charlie chalpin, very difficult to do right.


	3. Brooklyn

  The morning was crisp and bright, summer slowly slipping away into a cooler autumn. The light poured into Lee's top floor apartment and illuminated every surface  until it was almost hard to see in the brightness, even after Lee had half pulled the blinds over windows looking out over the slope down to the river. A loud thud from his forgotten house guest  made him jump (living a lone for a month had had more of an effect on Lee than he thought), dropping the scissors he had been using to try and break into the packet of bacon. Only some quick foot work saved his toes but his socks had slipped on the tiled floor sending him perilously close to doing the splits, something he was never prepared to do.

  He glared over at Richard who was ignoring his flailing in favour of rooting through his bag muttering to himself. “Aha! Here we are.” He placed a tub of chocolate flavour Whey Protein Powder on the kitchen table with a flourish. “A thanks for letting me stay.”

The maiming Lee had nearly given himself was forgotten as he went to inspect the tub that looked like it had been smuggled in from Britain, excited about it in the sad way people who had to maintain fitness got about stuff like this.

 “You didn’t have to get me anything.” Lee leant over and smacked a kiss on Richard’s lips. “I’m glad to have you! But I can’t wait to try it…” Lee spun off the lid and sniffed at it. “And it actually smells like Chocolate!”

“Funny that.” Richard smiled a little crookedly and Lee found himself staring at it rather than speaking.

“I, uhh…didn’t know where to put you?”

   The wrench of parting after miraculously finding one another ready to be together had been, by some miracle, lessened by Richard returning to New York again two weeks later. Lee had not been paying much attention to his fellow VIP’s at the NYB review, too busy basking in his learnt respect for the art and drinking Richard in, but even if he had Sia kept her face hidden so well from the media he would never have recognised her. So it came to as much of a surprise to him as to everybody else that she wanted Lara and Richard in her video. In fact she had been there especially to find dancers to use which caused the Ballet School some embarrassment as only one out of the three picked was from there.

  So Lee, who was a good friend that really wanted to be a good boyfriend, offered Richard and Lara a place in his apartment in Brooklyn; it was not huge but it could have held three comfortably and Lee had adsorbed enough in his childhood to be unfailingly hospitable when the occasion arose. Lara had declined, saying she wanted to stay in Manhattan for the experience, the shorter commute to the rehearsal studio, and because of a brown eyed choreographer who Lee did not know but who Richard agreed was really, really worth the shot.

Lee wondered if Richard was counting him as worth a shot.

 He had made the spare bed up in an attempt to not look presumptuous; they may have made out loads of times, hung out on borderline dates, kissed and touched one another casually but Lee knew there were boundaries – he was just unsure of where they were.

“Well, that depends on the um…”

“The results.”  It had been agreed after Richard’s hangover had dulled the morning after the recital, while nursing coffee and bagels Lee had ventured out to get (because good friend hopefully boyfriend) that sex would be quite nice, but they should get an STD test first. Because there is no time like wanting to get your hands all over someone to get a nasty surprise; not that Lee thought there would be as he was always careful and, well, Richard kept his ballet shoes in Ziploc’s inside their own special bag.

“Sort of. We have a few day’s until they should come in. I don’t want to sleep there for a couple of nights just to move into your room when we’re…” he tried not to grimace as he said the next few words, “…being intimate. That would be weird.”

Lee did not laugh, he did not even smile although he wanted too; Richard was too much. He just took his hand gently, making sure they had eye contact, “We can share a bed and it not be sexual. I was prepared to wait for months to...for this, so I think we can hold out a little longer. Not like we're not disciplined or anything. If you’re alright with that, I mean – we’ll be more comfortable, you’ll be used to the room, and I want you to feel at home and be comfortable.”

  Richard’s face, which had been striking in its seriousness, lit up in a half smile as he turned to his bags. “Who said romance is dead?”

    “Sure there’s books out there about world class athlete’s getting with dancers.”

“All owned by you of course.” Lee laughed to himself as he led Richard through to his room. “Is that why you don’t want me in your spare room, I’ll see your collection and find out I’m just fulfilling a long held fantasy?” He paused just inside Lee’s room to peer at his face. “I’ll have you know I lift fully grown women into the air for a living, I can take you.”

                                                     

                                                             ----------------------

 

Richard had barely sat down and Lee was right there crouching next to him, hands fluttering around his lower leg in unconcealed panic. “What happened? Are you alright? You didn’t pull anything did you?”

“It’s fine, Lee.” His ankles, marked out as weak in his first ever physical as a twelve year old, had chosen to ring alarm bells as he tried to beat Lee on the tread mill like the immature pratt that, if you asked anyone he had been at school with, he had never been even as a teenager. He had stopped at once and tried to walk it off but Lee had seen so he was ushered over to an unused weight bench to be fussed over.

 “But…should we get you to a physio? So they can check?”

“Honestly.” He reached down and stopped Lee’s flapping hands. “Getting as much height as I do on jumps means lots of stress on joints, it’s a niggle.”

Lee sat back on his heels and let out a long sigh, mussing his hair by dragging his hands through it. “Shit man…” He glanced up looking a little guilty. “I don’t think you’re delicate or anything. Just those are your career, ya know; you guys can have legs insured for hundreds of thousands of bucks…”

“Not quite that much.”

Lee glanced down at Richard’s legs, then back up at him in owlish shock. “Shit…really?”

“Don’t make a fuss. It’s not millions, it’s not even for that much. I’m on the bottom end of the scale, just enough for a financial cushion in case of the worst.”

 Richard recognised the expression on Lee’s face, it was the one people wore when they were going to try and tell him how to take care of his own body. He was about to work himself up into an indignant rant when Lee nodded over to the treadmills. “Some dude-bro just stole our machines, wanna lift?”

 “But do you even lift though?” Richard could not help himself.

Lee puffed himself up, dropping the gentle lilt from his voice for a more forceful grunt “Do you lift bro?”

They burst into giggles , having to shush each other when they drew the attention of the few other people in on a Tuesday mid-morning.

 Lee’s smiles were always so wide, he did not do anything by half let alone joy. His smiles made his cheeks apple like a toddler who know’s they are cute enough to get away with being naughty, and his eyes crinkle up as they twinkled with boundless charm. Lee’s smiles made Richard grin back without trying, without noticing - it's a good thing he already knew he was screwed.

 

                                                         -------------------------

 

Lee was used to living different mornings with people; he was usually up before everyone else and got back from morning training just as they were leaving for their day. Richard had managed to sleep through Lee leaving for the past three mornings, even when Lee had physically had to move him to get out of bed. 

  He assumed Richard got up not long after he left anyway as Lee always came home to the washing up done, a vitamin shake waiting for him along with breakfast,  the bed made but no Richard to be found. He would come back from rehearsals just after Lee returned from evening training and, in a combined effort, they would eat everything in the apartment. So after trudging down to the grocery store for the third day in a row Lee now had take-out ready and waiting because judging from how tired Richard had been lately this video was going spectacular to watch but exhausting to be in. 

                                                                               

From what Richard had told him around mouthfuls of food or while dozing in bed, Lee gathered Maggie Ziegler along with the kid from the New York Ballet, Lara and Richard were supposed to be the fluidity of gender and sexuality while dressed in matching bodysuits made out of a patchworks of colours that Richard said made him look like a Harlequin who had been in the wash a few times (the Commedia dell’Arte clown not the DC comics character - that had confused Lee for a while). It involved  Richard having to throw people around while being climbed on and a lot of coordinated moves, twisting around one another in a mass that judging from the occasional bruise on Richard's pale arms seemed to end up in multiple collisions of limbs.

Lee could tell the exhaustion was setting in but Richard was still having the time of his life. He knew that feeling well; the surge of energy being enough to push through the ache in your bones or the tremble of your muscles, the contented feeling at the end of the day when you could barely be bothered to move to get into bed. He was almost envious of it…almost.

  Today though was Richard’s day off, he would be there when Lee got back from doing laps. As Lee fiddled with his door key he suddenly became very aware he was red, blotchy, and bedraggled from the exercise and the quick cold shower afterwards, that he had goggle marks on his face, knowing his damp messy hair only accentuated his sticking out ears and slightly bent nose, and that Richard had not yet seen him like this. He had not even seen Lee first thing in the morning before and what if Richard saw him like this and went off him, the first impression popped like a balloon by how ordinary he looked, that Richard realised Lee was not worth the distance or the effort. Besides, what if the STD test they did came back that he had something embarrassing? He’d have to call his most recent hook up’s to let them know while Richard lived in the same house oh _shit_ this was all going to go to hell…

 The smile he got when he stumbled into the bedroom put his sudden wave of worries at bay. Richard was standing stock still, balancing on one leg with the other pointed to the ceiling, his body held with ultimate control with his head towards the floor. On spotting Lee he straightened with graceful ease, the leg that was in the air now bent at the knee so that foot was not quite touching his inner thigh. 

Lee would never get used to him doing things like that so casually.

 “I ordered in breakfast, just for the novelty of it. It’s disgustingly healthy I’m afraid. All scrambled egg and fruit.”

  “Fight you for it.” Lee grinned as he dumped his stuff, obediently coming over when Richard held his hand out towards him. “Good Morning darlin’…” Lee gave him a peck on the lips, letting his hands skim over the tensed muscles on his sides.

“Go on, stop copping a feel and have a proper shower.” Richard grumbled, bright eyes glittering with playfulness as he gave Lee a playful shove while still on one leg.

“What if I don’t wanna.”

Richard narrowed his eyes at him and without warning launched himself at Lee, tackling him onto the bed where they wrestled for a moment before Lee found himself in a leg lock with Richard’s weight pressing him into the bed.

“Ding ding ding ding ding! Round one to me!” Richard laughed, leaning down to kiss Lee long and slow, tongues sliding together easily, pressing his palms into the damp material over Lee’s pec’s.

“You’re not making me want to shower right now.” Lee breathed when Richard pulled back to rest on his elbows.

“Mmmm…” Richard agreed, fingertips tracing over Lee’s face so gently as he smiled down at him. “They text me this morning, I’m clean.”

“Haven’t got mine yet.” Lee sighed, letting his hands rest on the warm curve of his spine.

Richard kissed him again, “When they let you know…” He waggled his eyebrows and then let Lee go, rolling off the bed and onto his feet before shoving at Lee’s prone form. “Go on, shower!”

“Why you want me to shower so bad, huh?”

“You stink of chlorine. Go, have a wank if you need to I won’t listen.”

“So charming, the way you talk to me.”  Richard pulled a face at him. “Besides…” Lee teased as he paused in the doorway. “I’m saving it all up for you.”

“Oh god, you do write those romance books don’t you!”

                                                                         

                                                                    ----------------------

 

 Threading needles was the worse. Hermione used to thread about ten at a time  and stick them in the misshapen penguin pin cushion she had made for him one long winter evening, but that was before he went to Budapest and had to fend for himself.

 He let out a deep sigh, sticking his hands into the air to stretch his back before bending to another attempt at getting the bloody cotton through the eye of the fucking needle. Eyes were on him, Richard could sense that, glancing up from where he was sat crossed legged against the legs of the armchair to where Lee was sprawled over every inch of his couch watching him.

  Richard held his gaze as he licked the thread, looking away to finally succeed at his arduous task.

Lee applauded so he sighed at him

“How long have you been going at that?”

“Depends on how long you’ve been watching me…”

Tarnished copper eyes flicked over Richard before he met his gaze and smiled. Lee glowed with contentment, freckled cheeks dimpling under sparkling eyes, so at ease and with so strikingly handsome Richard had to look away before he gave up on his important task of sewing elastic into his dance shoes to take up the unimportant one of pressing Lee further into the couch with kisses.

 He was watched as he attached the elastic that would hold his foot in one pair of shoes and had just started on another when Lee spoke again. “Why don’t they sell them with the elastic in?”

“Every foot is different; you need different support, insteps are of different height, and – in theory- we know where the rubbing points are on our feet. You can get them with it in but some prefer it this way”

“Sure it’s not to keep you guys out of trouble?”

“Trouble?” Richard laughed long and loud at the thought of any of the ballet dancers he knew going out and being wild. “It's not keeping me away from you is it?”

“You are all the way over there.”

“Yes, ‘cause I’m doing something.” Lee made to get up, freezing when Richard jabbed his needle towards him. “Something that needs to be done and I have a sharp implement to ensure it.” Lee still got up to sit in the armchair behind Richard, feet slung over and arm rest.

  “I’ll wait, trouble always waits.”

Ten minuets later the needle and thread were packed away, the dance shoes were laid on their bags sat on the coffee table, and there was a tangle of arms and legs and lips on the carpet.

 

                                                    --------------------

 

“I suppose you need to get your bro on don’t you?"

“ Wh…’Bro on’?”

“You know,” Richard took on the air of a swaggering frat boy, “Hang with the bros, drink some brewski’s, watch the game. Be a ‘guy’, wear a baseball cap.”

“Wow.”

“Wow that was accurate or wow what am I doing out with you?”

“Wow that you said brewski’s. What decade are you from again?”

“Like some arsehole doesn’t call it that.” Lee shrugged, he knew he could not argue that point. “I don’t think your anything like that by the way. You just get used to the people you hang around with a lot.”

“That what you think all sports guys are like?”

Richard shook his head. “Not reserved to sports either.”

Lee looked up the road at the bar they were headed too and thought about Richard walking next to him; the way he moved and set of his shoulders made him look smaller than he was, as if he was trying desperately not to stand out. If Lee had not seen him totally dominate a stage full of equally striking and physically elite people he would have thought him one of the masses of office workers. In fact if he had not been dragged along to the South Bank four years ago by Evie he probably would be scoffing at the idea of a guy doing Ballet.

 He bumped their shoulders together and Richard glanced up at him, eyes pale blue and bright. “You wanna go somewhere else?”

“Of course not! I’m not gonna stop you doing what you want because I’m anti-social and grumpy.” 

The bar smelt of beer and nacho’s and was loud in the comfortable way bars could be. Lee pointed over to a booth near the door while asking Richard what he wanted to drink. He glanced over to a group of women near the bar as if in thought, “I don’t suppose they’ll have passable red wine here?”

 Lee hesitated because he knew if they did have red wine then it would not be anywhere near what Richard thought passable, but the grimace Richard gave when he saw his reaction seemed to be for something else, but he spoke before Lee could answer. “I’ll get any IPA they have.”

   Bringing the drinks back to the table was more of a task than Lee thought it would be, he had to hold them up above people’s heads to prevent spillages. He rolled his eyes at Richard when he caught sight of him, smiling when he visibly relaxed into the booth.

   The careful sip Richard took was watched intently by Lee who only touched his drink when he got a nod of approval for his choice.

  “So, can I ask something about your legs?”

“Er…yeah, I suppose.”

Lee reached over and slapped his hand down onto Richard’s thigh, squeezing the impressively hard muscle under the denim. “How much I got in my hand now, couple hundred bucks?”

Richard burst out laughing, head thrown back so his long pale neck was arched and really, could Lee be helped running his eyes over every part of it? “Yep” He said, grinning, “hand it over.”

 Lee let his hand slip down the strong thigh a little as Richard raised his eyebrows expectantly, looking handsome and smooth and so relaxed. Relaxed, Lee realised with a smile, in his company.

“Totally worth it.”

Richard gasped. “You only want me for my body, don’t you!” He might be a great ballet dancer but the hurt in his voice sounded so genuine Lee had to check, swiping at Richard when he saw the mischief in his eyes.

“Well it’s one of the things, you dick.”

“Things?”

“Yeah, all the things about you …” Lee trailed off, not brave enough to continue, and Richard let him chicken out as he sipped his drink and looked around the bar.

 “I dunno, I think Lara would have tolerated it…” He mused, going back to the conversation they were having before they had gone out “…it’s different from what we’re used to.” He glanced at Lee, “But we’re used to being herded to fancy Art’s do’s and filling up on the free food and drink so…” Lee shook his head fondly. “What?”

“This is supposed to be a date.”

“Oh…” Richard ran his fingers through the condensation on his glass. “Sorry, we’ve just never done the actual date thing. Really.”

“Yeah we did. First night I met you we had a date.”

Richard’s ears went pink. “That was hardly…” He looked guiltily at Lee, “I may have just been tolerating you, at first.”

“I wasn’t a complete idiot, I noticed.”

“Didn’t put you off though did it?”

Lee propped his chin on his hand, trying to give Richard his beast heated look. “As I said, I wasn’t a complete idiot. Full of myself maybe…”

“Don’t worry, all eighteen year olds are.”

Lee cringed. Three year’s ago Richard had been as old as he was now, and looking at the eighteen year old's at training camp he was amazed he had had enough charm to keep Richard tolerant let alone friendly. Let alone let Lee kiss him, he was embarrassed thinking about it.

 “And what embarrassing things was Richard Armitage doing at eighteen?”

“Dancing with the Magyar…the Hungarian National Ballet, getting taught to back-flip by some Russian ex-gymnasts and giving the Ballet Master the vapours.”

Lee was so shocked for a moment he just stared at Richard, but then supposed he really should not be surprised as at the same age he had gone halfway across the world to win an Olympic Medal and start falling in love.

“Where did you meet the ex-Russians? I mean…the Russians?”

“In a pastry shop, believe it or not. They were very friendly.”

“I bet they were…” Lee said, trying not to make it obvious what his mind had jumped to.

“They still keep in contact, their daughter is away at a musical conservatoire playing the Violin. She's a lovely kid.”

“So they were married?” Lee asked, not missing the knowing look Richard was giving him.

“Yep, they were very kind to me. Anya especially, she thought I was adorable which is not what anyone wants to hear off a beautiful woman you have a crush on.”

“Oh…”

“That’s not a problem, is it?”

Lee squeezed the hand he still had on Richard’s leg. “No, lord no…”

“Excuse me, hey, hi…” Lee whipped both of his hands up to his glass as he turned to the guy who had sidled up to their table, noticing the group hanging back no doubt waiting to find out if Lee was in fact himself.

“Hey man, how can I help you?”

“You can tell me to mind my own, but are you Lee Pace? The swimmer?”

Lee glanced at Richard who was looking on benignly so he nodded. “Yep, that’s me.”

“Oh my…we thought you were. It’s great to meet you can...do you mind if we get a quick picture? Then we’ll leave you guys alone I swear.”

“Why not.” Lee smiled as he stood up, knowing they would have to leave soon after because everyone would be looking at them now no matter if he told the guy to go away or not.

There was only about six of them, so he smiled and chatted and ducked down for photo’s, aware of Richard sat quietly watching them.

 “Hey,” someone said, leaning over to speak to Richard, “sorry to disturb your guys evening.”

“It’s fine, come’s with the territory.”

“Oh, you’re British?”

“English, yes. Met Lee at the last Olympics.”

“Oh, oh wow…you’re a swimmer too?”

“No, no – definitely not. I’m a dancer with the English National Ballet.”

“Really? Oh cool, cool, I would never have guessed.”

Something told Lee that was not going to be taken well.

“Guessed? Are we usually so easy to spot?”

“Just not what I expected.”

“Lack of tutu and tights, is it?” Richard said with a chuckle that was uncharacteristically sharp.

“Kinda man, guys like you don’t tend to do that over here.”

There was a beat of silence where Lee was sure the guy must have realised he had shoved his foot down his own throat.

“Better go along and get your picture.” The forced smile was obvious in Richard’s voice, either a sharp passive aggressive side was showing or Richard’s trained politeness had slipped dangerously.

Lee knew the guy was just trying to be friendly, and felt a little bad for him at the shamed look on his face and sudden hesitation with coming up to Lee.

 When Lee finally sat back down Richard had finished his drink and looked strangely agitated, “I’m going to go and get some air.”

“I’ll follow you out in a moment.” Lee said, waiting until Richard was out the door before chugging half his glass and following him outside.

 Richard was leant on the wall looking sour, hands shoved in his pockets, shifting over a bit for Lee when he came and leant next to him.

“You okay?”

 Richard tipped his head back so his chin was jutting out towards the road looking impertinent if not for the glint of emotion in his eyes. “I’m not going to pretend I have it bad. People have worse assumptions made about them, assumptions that cause actual problems for them mentally or socially. People suffer violence and poverty and they are unable to follow their dreams and desires. But when some people look at me and think I’m one thing, hear what I do and think another I can see them trying to work with these two assumptions and preconceptions, trying to work out what I am.” He looked over at Lee with an expression of deeply held offence. “They’ve barely spoken two words to me and it’s ‘oh, you don’t look like one ’ or ‘did you want to be Billy Elliot?” or “Was it the tutu’s that made you do it?” shit like that.”

  “Texan mothers like to mention their daughters are single to me all the time, sometimes when they’re not single. So I get it, although...yanno, no one throws shade at me because of it.”

 They stood in silence for a while, letting the sounds of traffic and the tick of the subway wash over them.

“Wanna go home?” Lee asked.

That seemed to break Richard out of his mood, pushing himself off the wall while grabbing at Lee’s hand, “Nah, let’s go dancing!”

“I can’t dance. Tall people can’t dance!”

“It’s okay, I can’t dance either.” Lee scoffed at that. “Seriously! Ballet is nothing like shaking your booty.”

Lee considered it for a moment, considered Richard whose neat hair had gotten ruffled by the breeze that blew through the streets, considered dancing with Richard until he was breathless and then staggering home together.

But it was not Richard's home was it…

“Fuck it.” Lee tightened his hold on Richard’s hand, pulling himself closer for a kiss before striding off down the pavement with Richard in tow.

 

                                                       -----------------------

 

  When the lights flashed back on again Richard’s heart was beating too loud in his ears to be worried about the position he found himself in, bent half over the back of the couch with his feet jammed firmly into Lee’s thigh.

 “Wh…are you alright?” Lee asked, voice loud with worry but just wavering into nervous laughter.

“No! No I am not!”

“You said you were ok with horror movies!”

“I’m obviously not watching the same one’s you are!” Richard took a deep breath and settled back down to sit with his legs curled back under him again as Lee switched off the paused screen of the blood sprayed over the victim’s panicked face. “You don’t have to turn it off.”

“No I do. You scared me as much as that scared you, I thought you were gonna tip off the back of the couch!” Richard turned his hand over for Lee to hold carefully; his hands were only a little bigger than Richard’s own and not stronger but he knew the pang of being afraid your natural size and strength might hurt someone accidentally.

“Did you think a ghost had got me?” Richard murmured, shifting so he could press himself against Lee’s arm, smiling when Lee twisted his head to look at him.

“Wouldn’t blame it.”

“Ooo, charmer.” Richard craned his head forward so Lee could press their lips together, trading gentle kisses that got progressively longer until being twisted as they were became uncomfortable so Richard flopped to rest his forehead on the point of Lee’s shoulder.

 Comfortable silence enclosed them, the distant noise of a siren wailing down the next block the only real noise, Lee wheedling his arm out from between them to put around Richard, fingertips gently resting on his hip through the fabric of his t-shirt as Richard shifted to lay his head against his chest so he could hear the drum of his heart beat.

  Being able to sit in silence with someone was not new for Richard, Hermione and him could go for days without saying a word to one another and it not be oppressive or weird (despite it actually being quite weird), he preferred ambient noises to background chatter – turning to some aggressive aria’s from Tosca or the pop punk of his youth when his mind got too loud. When tiredness set in from performing or simply from life the sound of his lover’s heartbeat would always settle him. Not that he was tired now, not that he needed to be calmed, he felt like he was glowing inside and he was smiling like an idiot when he realised that he loved and was (highly likely) loved in return.

 They moved to go to bed a little while after that, Lee fiddling with shutting off his Xbox that was streaming Netflix to the TV while Richard stood looking out into the darkness of the hallway leading to the bedroom that was now filled with demons and murderer’s waiting to get him if he stepped out of the light from the main room. He could see the light switch on the opposite wall, it was a large step and a stretch away but that might as well be the Grand Canyon.

 “Okay?” Lee asked, coming up behind Richard, hand casually pressing into his lower back.

“Umm…” Richard glanced up at Lee who had amused realisation dawning in his eyes. “Can you turn the light on for me?”

“Turn the light on for you?” Lee teased, sniggering.

They held one another’s gaze for a moment, Richard hoping he had the look in his eyes that usually cowed people even though he had nothing to back it up, and Lee’s smile became smaller.

“Lee.”

“Yes.”

“Lights.”

Because the monsters were there for Richard and not Lee he put the lights on without getting murdered, which was a great relief. He wrapped his arm around Richard again as they made the short walk to the main bedroom. “I won’t try and scare you for a laugh while you’re freaked out, ever, promise.”

“I’m very glad to hear that…thank you.”

“I try not to be an asshole, but I would never be one to you.” Lee looked away as he said it, so Richard stopped them both just inside the bedroom and tipped Lee’s face to look at him.

“I know you’re not, and I know you never would be.” He rested a hand on the firm muscle of Lee’s chest. “You’re too good, too sweet. It’s why I’m here, and why I put up with you three years ago.” He was trying to make Lee smile, but his face remained serious.

“Well…I suppose. Hey, lemme put this light on.” He reached past Richard to flick the switch and as he did Richard threaded his hands through his hair and kissed him properly.

  Lee’s expression was unreadable for a moment before it blossomed into an eye crinkling smile. “So glad we were in the right place at the right time, again.” It sounded like an ‘I love you’.

“Me too.” Richard smiled, meaning an ‘I love you’.

 

                                                                    ------------------------

 

     The call from the clinic came thorough on the first day of the video's shoot.

Richard had to deliver the best he could over the next day and a half, not only for Sia’s artistic vision or the work of the crew and other dancers (which was Richard’s main concern) but for himself, so Lee did not mention it. Richard did not seem to notice, or if he did he did not care, that this would be big for him if the video was popular and could do his career no end of good. Lee was not in the habit of telling people how to live their lives so let him get on it, no point putting more pressure on Richard than there already was.

   When the wrap party for the video was going on two days later Lee had a hard session to do so ducked out of going. Instead he sent a screen shot of the conformation email that he was as clean as a…clean thing, partly as a well done present (that he was fully aware how vain that was) and partly because he knew Richard was staying with Lara (and her choreographer Rabi) that night and would give Lee time to stock up on the essentials.

   The man himself came home the next day just as Lee was considering lunch, clutching a Dunkin’ Donuts drink and some Chipotle he had picked up especially when getting food with Lara and her man. Lee had kissed him with more heat than food usually deserved which made Richard slightly breathless as he laughed at Lee’s enthusiasm, going to dump his bags before coming to sit on the couch with a leg curled up under him while Lee tried not to shove all the food in his face at once while asking about the wrap party and what Rabi was like.

  “I hope you haven’t given yourself indigestion.” Richard smiled when Lee flopped back in his seat after dumping the debris on the coffee table.

“Bit late to bring that up.”

“You were enjoying yourself.”

Lee shifted so he leant his head on the back of the couch as he turned to face Richard “Can think of something else I’d enjoy doing.”

Richard’s eyebrows took on a life of their own for a moment and then he got himself under control. “Well done on not have any infectious diseases by the way.”

“Thanks. I tried my hardest.” He walked his fingers along the cushions until he could rest them against Richard’s leg, the material of his shorts warmed by his body heat.

 “Are we going to kill this growing mood by talking about it first or take it as we go?” Richard asked, fingers running down edge of his thigh nervously.

“Speakin’ for maself...” Lee murmured, laying on the Texan accent because he could, “…but this here mood could last. You’re mighty fine in every which way, by my reckonin’.” Richard was trying not to laugh which only made Lee giggle as he twisted around so his upper body was angled towards him. “I’m for talking it through.”

Richard nodded gently, hands fluttering up to his face before he gripped the ankle of the leg curled under him tightly. “Okay, you wanna go first…?”

 “Alright, umm…I like scratching but not too hard or the chlorine makes it sting like a bitch, same for hickeys and none before a competition.” Richard nodded, muttering about that making sense. “A smack here or there is welcome, for the sharp sting. Don’t like it when it gets painful. Umm… not into ‘sir’ or ‘daddy’ stuff but if, if you really wanted to I could give it a go…”Richard’s face made that clear that was a big no. “Noise when I’m...you’re…just noisy blow jobs really? I understand that can be a little humiliating but…”

“I understand, don’t worry. I’ll think about it.” Richard’s smile was benign and encouraging and so lovely Lee almost threw himself at him.

“Thanks, really. Ummm, yeah- I quite like a finger, maybe two, in my ass, but anything more than that I don’t like. I just don’t like the feeling. It’s not a macho thing, or insecurity, the stretch and then the feel of… getting fucked, to be blunt, just doesn’t do it for me. And I don’t expect you to bottom because of that, I don’t. I’ve worked around it before.”

 Richard took Lee’s hand in his own warm, dry, one, linking their fingers together and for someone who, by his own admission, could be a little prudish launched off into a frank, obviously rehearsed speech. “I don’t like being called names, if a ‘baby’ slips out I will allow it ‘cause I know you won’t mean it that way. Don’t like being tied up or down, but being held down is very alright and squeezing what you’re holding down is also alright. Pin me down so I can’t move and I will kick the shit out of you. I am flexible but won’t be bending myself into exotic positions on demand. As for bruises, bites, and scratches - nowhere visible and none before a performance and bites are most welcome.” He purred with a cheeky little grin and Lee was prepared to throw himself at Richard’s feet. “And…I’m not opposed to being on the receiving end of your cock once in a while.”

“Oh…shit.”

“Once in a while might also be today…”

 Lee gaped, knowing he probably looked like a deer in headlights as he processed that information. “Are we done talking now? We agreed on all this?”

“I’m happy if you’re happy.”

Lee felt like finally flinging himself across the couch, instead he sat up and scooted across so he could thread his fingers through Richard’s soft hair and kiss him, knowing he tasted of Mexican food so made sure his tongue worked hard enough that it would not matter.

  His shirt caught on his head as they stumbled into the bedroom, Richard having to give it a firm tug to get it off. Lee noticed, wildly, that Richard had had to go up on his tiptoes to do it and then he was undoing Richard’s shirt the rest of the way as it had become quite rucked from Lee getting his big hands on the warm skin and hard hip bones. He slept topless so it was not like Lee had not seen or touched, (or kissed) all that wonderful expanse of gentle muscle that belied his strength, just that now he could scrape his teeth just  under Richard’s ear with one hand creeping down the back of his shorts while the other pressed into his dewy lower back to pull them flush against one another.

 Richard’s hands were busy pulling at Lee’s sweatpants until they dropped, then steadying him expertly as he nearly wobbled over trying to get them off his feet. “Woops.” Richard’s rumbled against Lee’s lips as fingers ran from Lee’s side down his ass then up his back to his shoulders where they carefully explored the breadth of them. Developing shoulders as wide as doorframes was something that happened to all swimmers and Lee was not unused to them getting admiration before, but Richard was someone used to fine physical specimens of men and women in states of undress so this appreciation made him preen a little as Richard ran his palms down to Lee’s chest, index fingers circling his nipples before he bent to apply his lips to the task.

   Two wet, tingling nipples later and with the warm taste of Richard’s skin on his tongue Lee thunked down onto the bed, Richard following soon after to stretch out next to him. Lee was aware of the cotton of his boxers dragging against his erection and went to pull them off, but something made him stop and look across at Richard who was pushing his hair out of his eyes in what was a stupidly sexy move.  Richard turned to him and raised his eyebrows in question, smile tugging on his lips.

 “Just so we’re clear, you are saying you want me to fuck you?”

 “Yeah…why? Do you want a verbal contract before you tell me you have a monster cock?” Richard laughed, and then suddenly looked deadly serious. “You don’t do you? Cause I might need to get some yoga breathin’ before I try and…”

“Jesus Rich, no I don’t! How do you…way to make a guy feel self conscious!”

“What…oh don’t be silly.” Richard rolled over so he was pressed against Lee’s side, one hand stroking his cheek while he rubbed the crease of his thigh against Lee’s cock, making him gasp loudly. “I may not be a size queen but I can tell you’ll give me a satisfying sting well into tomorrow.” He was grinning as he said it, looking far too smug but it filled Lee with warmth that made him forget his desperate need for a moment.

  The kiss Richard planted on Lee gave away his placid exterior as he employed his sharp teeth on Lee’s lower lip to devastating effect. “Where is it?” Richard breathed against Lee’s lips. He was so far gone it took him a moment for his brain to catch up. Lee flung his arm out in the direction of his nightstand and Richard shifted so he could reach the draw while Lee whined at the loss of contact as his hands ran all over what he could reach of him.

  Richard settled back on top of Lee as he dropped the lube and a strip of condoms next to them. “Don’t roll me on top of them.”

Lee nodded, having to be kissed for a little while before he realised he had been given free reign to do what he wanted. He used both of his hands to pull down the back of Richard’s boxer briefs so he could get his hands on that round ass that was so incredibly firm when he squeezed Lee broke the kiss to moan.  Richard kissed along his jaw to nibble at Lee’s earlobe while he got his hands acquainted with the feeling of that fantastic ass under his palms as Richard rocked their hips together.

  One of Lee’s hands stayed in place while the other felt for the lube, turning to kiss at what he could reach of Richard’s face as he blindly fiddled to get the lid off. “Ah…fucking…I didn’t take the wrap off give me a minuet.” Lee grunted, having to peer over Richard’s shoulder to find the little tab so he could pull the plastic off. He could feel Richard giggling against him, smile pressed into his neck and Lee found himself sniggering too as he finally got the lid off the litter fucker, nudging Richard until their lips met again.

  Richard let out an aborted moan when Lee finally stopped running the pad of his slicked middle finger over his little hole and slipped it in slowly. He was always careful with the first finger, aware of the tightness around his digit and how uncomfortable he had always found it. Richard was not complaining to go faster or slower just breathing deeply into the crook of Lee’s neck, fingers curled against his collar bone. He worked the second finger in slowly, Richard jerking up when the second knuckle slipped past the ring of muscle, resting his forearms on Lee’s chest with his back curved so their dicks were pressed together as he rocked his hips against Lee’s hand.

 By the time Lee had three fingers pumping into Richard’s ass he had his eyes closed, head tipped back towards the ceiling so Lee could see every pant and swallow he let out, sweat glistening on his pectorals. Lee really wanted to lean up to kiss his throat but he was just out of reach. So Lee knocked the lube and condoms across the bed as he carefully removed his fingers from Richard, flipping them over before he had a chance to gasp.

  As Lee ripped into the condom wrapper Richard hitched his legs up so one knee was pressed to his chest while bending the other all the way back so the ball of his foot was pressed into the headboard. Lee nearly dropped everything as he gawped down at Richard who was trying to not look full of himself at his little party trick, biting his lip as Lee ran his hand up the firm muscle at the back of his pale thigh trying to remember why he was not burying his face in what Richard was laying bare for him.

He glanced up and at the small nod from Richard bent to press his tongue against the firm, warm muscle of his hole. Richard gasped and he moaned loudly, flicking his tongue into the heat of him, tasting lube and soap, before alternating between sucking on the ring of muscle and flicking his tongue against it until Richard’s heel pressed between his shoulder blades and he was babbling at him to stop, “…stop, stop, it’s too much.”

  “Okay?”

“Yeah yeah, just…yeah.” Richard ran his fingers through Lee’s hair, smile genuine but strained. “More than ready for the main event.” He rumbled from some place deep in his chest that shocked Lee into action, rolling the condom on and lining himself up.

 He leant down to press sucking kisses all over Richard’s shoulders and neck before oh so carefully pressing past the ring of muscle, kissing a scratchy stubbled cheek as he waited for Richard to relax, to sigh and sling an arm around Lee’s shoulders, before sliding in the rest of the way.

  Even though he was nearly bent in half by Lee looming over him, scraping his teeth against whatever he could reach, Richard was managing to roll his hips back against Lee’s cock. He tried to keep the rolls of his hips smooth, but Richard was so warm and tight around him, his dark lashes fluttering over his big eyes, and the bite of his fingers digging into his back would snap Lee’s control so he would be fucking hard into him until the loud hiccupping moans echoing out of Richard’s throat would slow him again. Lee knew, from experience, anal could hurt afterwards and so wanted to be gentle, did not want to take but to share, but Richard was making encouraging noises, kissing at his jaw as he panted, “Please, Lee, please…please. I want…”

 So Lee gave him what he wanted- long, hard, deeper rolls of his hips. He pushed himself up onto his hands so he was not forcing Richard to bend so much, groaning when Richard dragged his nails lightly down Lee’s arms on his way to pressing his palms into headboard. Lee grasped the dick dragging against his stomach when Richard’s legs began to tremble around him and made an effort not to loose the rhythm of his hips or his hands as Richard clenched around his cock.

  Richard cried out and arched into his orgasm, his legs tightening so violently Lee had a vague fear his ribs might break as he fucked him through it, getting come on his palm but not minding about it because when Richard finally sagged he had a satisfied smile on his face. Lee was pulled down for a kiss that was not at all sated on his side as he chased his own orgasm in Richard’s body, riding out the aftershocks with his head buried in the nook between ear and jaw that smelt of sex.

   When Lee caught his breath, not taking that long for either of them – great news for any ideas about marathon sex in the future- he managed to tie off the condom and throw it away without dropping it, which was a first. Richard padded up behind him and threw a handful of wipes in the bin, almost making Lee jump.  “Heeeey!” Lee protested, honestly surprised to not find Richard sprawled on the bed awaiting his clean up like most people Lee slept with, “That was my job!”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, least I can do.”

Long arms wrapped around him and he was walked back towards the bed. “What’s the least I can do for having such sweet love made to me?”

Lee felt himself blush, which was really silly, but Richard did not mind. In fact he look bright eyed, satisfied and, Lee dared to think, in love as he kissed Lee gently.

They curled back into bed, Lee kissing down Richard’s chest lazily. “Didn’t get a chance to do this, before, so if you don’t mind I’m gonna kiss every little bit of you and then I’m going to suck your dick.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Richard grinned, letting himself sink into the sheets. “May even repay the favour.”

                                                                                                           

                                                                             -----------------

 

Richard was on the fire escape, sat curled up with his chin leant on his knee’s in the shrinking diagonal of early morning shade looking out at Manhattan like every artsy stereotype and, Lee thought, what a lovely picture he made.

 “Hey…” Lee said quietly as he climbed out to sit next to him, which was quite brave on his part as his apartment was at the top of the building and Lee was never good with heights “…you alright?”

 Richard turned to look at him, eyes a little wild and a whole lot guarded, face going through several emotions before looking down at the ripped seam at the inside of the knee in Lee’s sweatpants he was wearing. “America feels so alien to me.” He spoke quietly, Lee not missing how his fingers dug into his own biceps.

 “I can see why…” London had not felt weird to Lee, it was a huge sprawling city that felt as endless as Texas did, he was not sure how he would have felt if he had realised just how close the sea was on every side.

“I love you…” Richard blurted out, not looking at Lee who felt the rush of leaping from the starting board and then the full body slap of a belly flop. He knew fully well what Richard was melancholy about “…but in just under a week I’ll be back in London and you’ll be here.” He gave a small shake of his head, his shoulders dropping as he curled further in on himself.

  It was horrible to see him like this; to know how he laughed, how he could hold the attention of a room full of ten year olds to an audience full of people who had more money than he ever would, how he danced around to Lee’s questionable 80’s playlists, how he had luxuriated in their love making yesterday…

Lee prised one of Richard’s hands away from his bicep and held it tightly in his own, scooting forward so his knee bumped Richard’s foot. “My career won’t last much longer than the next Olympics, I’m good but I’m no Thorpe or Phelps. I’ll be lucky if I defend my world title in four years.” Lee took a deep breath, a decision made. “I won’t wanna do anymore swimming after that. If we can be long distant for four years, then I’ll come to you – wherever you are…”

“Lee, you can’t just… this is your life’s work. You can’t give it up at twenty-five!”

“Hey now, I never said give it up. They have swimming programme’s in England don’t they? I can coach or do sports commentary.”

“I can’t ask you…”

“You not asking anythin’. I’m doing it. Quit while you’re ahead. Go out on top, I hope. Not like I’m giving it all up right now, am I? ‘Side’s, you’ve got another fifteen years in you at least, I’m definitely not gonna be still doing laps when I’m thirty-five. Wanna live in the world, get Chipotle more than once a month.”

“I don’t even know if we have Chipotle in England.”

“Meh, swap it fer sum ov them Feesh en Chups.” Lee said in what in theory was a good British accent but turned out to be even worse that it sounded to him judging by the offended bark of laughter Richard let out.

  Lee pulled their hands to him so Richard’s fingers could press into the skin in the centre of his chest. “I love you. And I’m gonna marry the heck outta you in five years.” Richard frowned, trying to suppress the riot of emotions running through his eyes, using his free hand to cup Lee’s face as he kissed him gently.

“Five years.” Richard promised.

“We’ll get a place in a cool suburb and have a dog called something witty and drive one of those tiny car’s you got over there. I’ll come with you to all your fancy Ballet party’s and I can show you off at the sports events...” Lee darted forward to kiss him again.

“It’s a deal.” Richard was laughing, joy radiating from him and Lee burnt that into his mind so if he felt like going for another Olympic title, another world championship, if people tried to convince him, he would not be persuaded.

 Lee let out the happiest, corniest little sigh, kissing the inside of Richard’s wrist before pulling him around so he was sat between Lee’s legs, the solid weight of his back comfortable against Lee’s chest as he leant his head on the top of Richard’s and wrapped his arms around him. The wall was rough against his shoulders and he’d had a stiff back when he unfolded himself Lee mused as he opened his legs wider for Richard to get comfortable, content to sit in the warm sunshine and watch the world go by.

 

 


	4. Rio de Janiero

The heat was stifling, Richard could feel the air-conditioning systems valiantly pumping cold air from the hidden units in the ceiling but the sheer amount of excited people in a space that had spent the whole day heated by the Brazilian sun made it hard to breathe.

  But that have been the excitement of an Olympic final.

  Meeting Lee's parent's at Rio airport had not been as nerve wracking as a third meeting of your partner's parents could have been, especially when you were on your own with them for the first time. The past two Thanksgivings were the only times they had met face to face and then he had been able to fade in and out of the whole Pace crowd, usually ducking out to help Lee’s ballet mad niece when he felt a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume and amount of Lee's family, both human and animal. By the time they had gotten to their hotel in the middle or Rio Richard's natural awkwardness had been swept away by what seemed to be the natural ease they had passed on to their son and that their love for him would of course extend to his boyfriend. 

   They had made sure Richard was invited to every social event they went to, but they knew the world and the people, parents of other swimmers and their partners and kids- Richard knew no-one. Despite his job requiring he be wheeled out on fancy occasions to talk to trustee's, donor's, politicians, minor domestic or important foreign royalty it had not improved his feelings about big rooms full of people. He coped at the ball's and dinner parties by having an exact knowledge of the Arts, having Sir.Ian or Hermione within grabbing distance, and letting the great and the good talk at him; Richard had known he did not know enough to do that with these people so had politely declined. 

 That was not to say he was a lonely hermit stuck in his room, the hotel was full of the families of competitors and a few of the younger ones ganged together to go and see the sights so he had faced the frankly appalling crowds up at Christ the Redeemer and lazed about on Copacabana beach getting tanned and tipsy which had been refreshing and...nice. Very nice in fact,as his life had revolved around dancing ever since he could remember. All his friends had been dancers; all of his partner’s as well barring two, one of whom was Lee and the other backstage crew. You had to eat, sleep, and drink it to succeed in the arts, so he had, and the people around him had too, Lee had had to do the same with swimming, so to hang out with ordinary people was...nice.

  “Oh, oh there he is! Richard look there he is!” Lee’s mum, Charlotte, grabbed his arm and pointed down to the screen’s that showed Lee beaming his stupidly handsome all American grin as he strode into the stadium, flicking his earphones off his head to wave at the crowds before he got to his place and started to strip off his tracksuit. That was something Richard could never watch in front of Lee’s parents so looked around where he was sat with the other families all waving their flags and banners and looking hopeful. He was sat amongst mainly Americans so after the first round of heats he had made a point to wrap a Union Jack around his shoulders, the material sticking to his neck and shoulders in the humidity, as he would hate for anyone to get the wrong idea.

  The race felt like it was over in a heartbeat, they all lined up on their boards and it was as if the whole stadium shifted forward in their seats. Lee’s dad, Jim, actually did, perching on the end of his plastic seat like he was the one about to dive into the pool, both of Lee’s parents flailing around in a way Richard was far too British to do as the starters gun went off. They kept on yelling even after Lee had put clear water between him and the rest of the field after the second turn, Richard sure this was all wrapped up until they come out of the fourth turn with the Chinese swimmer level with Lee’s waist and then he was too tense to yell.

  They hit the finish line at what looked like the same time and Richard shot to his feet, his held breath all escaping in one go, not knowing whether to look at Lee who was ripping his goggles and swimming hat off or at the empty results board…

   Then all around him exploded in noise.

                                                           

                                                         **Lee Pace                                               USA            3:40:04 _WR_**

 

 Lee’s parents were both hugging him, Richard taking a moment to process that there had been only a tenth of a second between winning and coming second, and that tenth of a second meant a World Record, before he hugged them back.

 The big screen was showing Lee raising his fists in victory and yelling as he flopped over the floating lane divider to hug Matt as the swimmers all trooped out of the pool, Lee getting caught by the media on his way back to the dressing room.

 There was another race between Lee winning and his medal ceremony but Richard had no idea what happened, he was caught up in a swell of excitement from the crowd and his own pride, he remembered being congratulated by people although he had done very little apart from worry, and getting a call from Lee’s sister while his younger brother was on the phone with Charlotte.

“There’s a place just down there… ” Jim said, pointing down to an empty part of the stands near the media pen, “…that we can go to stand to see Lee as he comes past with his medal.”

“Oh, okay.” Richard shifted to let Jim pass, the big man getting half way along the row before turning back to him.

“You’re comin’ ain’t ya’?”

“I…are you sure?”

Jim rolled his eyes and waved Richard to come to him. “Why wouldn’t we be?  Come on, Lee’ll wanna see you anyways.” He squeezed Richard’s shoulder once they’d negotiated their way down to the little platform of empty space that had become crowded with other medallists families. It felt cooler down here by the water than it had by the ineffectual air con, but Richard could feel the flush of adrenaline in his chest that was making him warm all over “We wouldn’t make you hide away up there, Rich, it’s your and my son’s business if everyone or no-one knows, but you can’t miss this.”

“I didn’t…I didn’t mean that. It’s just…” He pointed to the  camera’s  trained on the podium. “…we didn’t talk about this.”

“Gotta roll with it sometimes, can’t plan everything out now can we?” Jim gave him a one armed hug, whooping with joy when the three medallists from Lee’s race marched out.

  Lee saw them as he straightened up from having the medal put over his neck, waving his bouquet at them radiating joy before the booming tannoy asked for silence for the national anthem.

  Richard stood with his hands respectfully behind his back while the Star Spangled Banner played, remembering how he had waved his flag around and sang when one of the British girls had won yesterday. Lee was stood bolt upright facing the flags, hand over the badge on the garish Team USA tracksuit singing along with a huge smile on his face.

 The Chinese silver and South African bronze medallists hurled their bouquets into the crowd as they made their way around the edge of the pool but Lee kept a tight hold of his as he slapped hands held out to him and leant in for a few pictures, signing programmes kids held out to him.

  Charlotte was leaning half over the railing to hug Lee when they drew level, the camera’s turned to capture the heart-warming family moments for the TV. Lee took all the kisses to his cheeks his mum could give him with the smile still on his face, holding up the medal for her to see before he got on his tiptoes to hug his dad. Then his bright, joyful, slightly dazed eyes landed on Richard who was hanging back and the smile seemed to double. He grabbed one of the railing posts in one hand and beckoned Richard over with the bouquet.

“Go on, go on.” Charlotte waved Richard closer and he nearly tripped over his feet coming up to the railing. He looked down at Lee a moment, taking in his dishevelled damp hair that he had obviously tried to neaten for the medal ceremony before crouching down so he could duck under the top bar of the railing so he was almost level with Lee’s face.

“Got something for ya.” Lee drawled, voiced raised over the noise around them, his beam become slightly abashed as he held the flowers out, hand resting on the second metal bar that was to stop people ducking under and jumping down onto pool side.

 Richard looked at them puzzled for a moment, then remembered walking down a Manhattan street a year ago complaining about never getting flowers to annoy Hermione who was struggling with a huge  bouquet of them. He laughed, Lee positively glowing now as their fingers brushed when the bouquet changed hands, and Richard really wanted to kiss him.

  Hazel eyes flicked down to his lips and Richard got the feeling Lee was thinking the same thing. “Gonna kiss your conquering hero?”

“You sure?”

Lee made a dismissive noise. “I got my Gold, what the hell are the powers that be back home gonna do?”

“Pull you out of the relay.”

 That sobered Lee for a moment, glancing up at his dad and then his mum who were stood on either side of Richard, both of his hands clenching the bar Richard was leant over. “Then…if they won’t let me compete because of you then I don’t wanna compete for them.” He stated, glancing at his parents again but Richard kept his gaze on him and the sudden stern decisiveness of his frown, the determination in his eyes.

  Richard was about to say he was not going to have his face splashed everywhere to make a point when Lee looked back at him and the seriousness of his expression melted. Richard did not hear what his next gentle declaration was, he just nodded and leant further over the bar so Lee could reach up and kiss him.

 

 **ESPN** _@espn_ **:** Gold not only prize of the winner. Watch  @paceinator race to _#Rio2016_ 400m gold and celebrate with partner in Rio:  es.pn/K3L1vgI

 

 **BBC trending** _@BBCtrending_ **:** Lee Pace celebrating _#Rio2016_ win with  @ENBallet star Richard Armitage trends worldwide, but not everyone is celebrating: bbc.in/Mkl1o3p

 

 **Daily Mail Online** _@MailOnline_ **:** Gay kiss follows swimming win in rainbow _#Rio2016_  dailym.ai/1P3hkfd

 

It had been more of a brush of lips than anything. You would think from the way everyone was going on about it Lee had swept Richard up in his arms and stuck his tongue down his throat. Richard hated to think what the media would have said about their awkward, dare he say terrible, first kiss four years ago.

 In the stadium there had been a mixture of gasps, cheers, and “awwww’s” as it was flashed across the big screens and the world. Lee had walked away looking unrepentant, in fact he looked so self-satisfied Richard had sighed at the big screen only to suddenly be looking at his own flushed, smiling self. It had taken a moment for him to realise what he was looking it, the screens capturing his fixed horror as he ducked back behind Jim who very firmly put his grinning face in the way while Charlotte waved her huge American flag.

  Relay’s were the next day so Lee had gone straight back to the Athlete’s Village. While Charlotte and Jim celebrated in the hotel bar Richard had gone to his room early citing an attack of jet-lag, spending most of the night on the phone to his mum who was in a tizzy that her baby boy had been beamed around the world kissing someone, his brother to talk through the conversation he had just had with his mum, Graham who wanted to laugh at the expression on Richard’s face when he had seen himself on the big screen, and Hermione who offered all her support, love, and mocking. “I always knew you would be the one caught hooking up behind the bike sheds.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Richard took the toothbrush out of his mouth to ask.

“You’re adored by everyone you meet, every Christmas party your propositioned by someone wearing shoes as expensive as my whole outfit for a shag in the toilet and every year you ignore it like the ..." She sighed affectionately as Richard protested that long argued over point through brushing his teeth, "...when you slip out of that shell of yours long enough to get close to someone it’s a wonderful thing. No wonder he snogged you on live TV.”

“Hermione! I never knew you cared!”

“You know very well I do. Now, your _face_ when you saw yourself on the big screen…”

Sleep came after a short snap chat video from Lee that showed him bare chested in the bright light of a bathroom, Matt photobombing in the background, filming himself in the mirror to tell Richard he loved him, ‘so fucking much, I’ll call you in the mornin’.”

 

 The first call of the day came while he was picking through his room service breakfast and watching the Brazilian news which was all in Portuguese so he could stay blissfully ignorant of any shit storm for a little while longer. The glamorous woman presenting had a light tone to her voice and a smile on her face when on the screen next to her flashed up images of them talking, heads bent close, before Lee kissed him. Then they played footage from the Sia video’s he had been in followed by a few seconds of his performance in...the special Modern Master's tribute he had taken part in last March. The speed of the media researchers was as amazing as it was scary.

 “Hello darling, I trust I have the time difference right and I have not disturbed your beauty sleep?” Sir.Ian’s melodious, comforting voice came down the line when Richard picked up.

“Eating breakfast as we speak.”

“Keeping to your diet I trust.”

“At this moment, yes.”

Sir.Ian laughed. “This is just a quick call about what happened yesterday - very tastefully done might I add! The Ballet has always been full to the rafters with us queer’s so they don’t give a shit and are gearing up to offer full support if anyone, and by that we mean the might of the American news channels, sticks their noses in or tries to make something of it.”

“Thank you, Sir.Ian. Means a lot.”

“Don’t mention it. We are also of course impatiently awaiting your arrival back next week so we can begin selling piles and piles of tickets to whatever I decide to stick you in.”

“Nothing that I have to wear a doublet for…”

“Spoil sport, you know they show off your lower half to it’s finest.”

 “I should have kept my mouth shut, you’ll go and do Romeo and Juliet again...”

“What an idea!”

“I’ll tell my boyfriend on you.”

“Richard, you wound me by bringing him up!”

They said their goodbyes not long after that, Richard turning to flick through the channels until he found the BBC World Service who had better things to report and he watched through the weather (pleasantly warm and sunny back home unlike the tropical heat here) while drinking his smooth coffee, the sport section reported on the never ending drama in FIFA before it went through the Olympic events from yesterday. Lee’s gold was last, there was footage of him leaping ahead at the second turn and then winning, shots of his celebrations and medal ceremony and then, finally, one of Lee in his clown-suit of a tracksuit craning up to kiss Richard like he was the most precious thing in the world.  

 It did look terribly sweet and romantic, even if Richard had blushed all the way down underneath his shirt collar when Lee kissed him. It ended on what Richard knew would follow him around his whole life, his fond, happy face watching Lee walking away before he noticed he was being shown on the big screens and his expression dropped into one of shock and then horror as he carefully stepped back out of shot.

_You are too sweet you know that_

_Ur darling face is too much for me_

_I knew it already but you are the cutest_

_Twin is2g you get my face on a tshirt_

_I will drop you_

_YOU CALLED ME TWIN_

_YOU’D NEVER DROP ME TWIN U TOO PURE_

_Too good_

_Too romantic_

 

 

Richard signed at his horrified face in Lara’s display picture, could be worse things to have hanging over you he supposed.

Lee face timed him just as he was about to go meet Jim and Charlotte so they could make their way to the Olympic Park. He was perched on the edge of a large plant pot in the shade outside what Richard thought was the entrance to the warm up pool.

 “Heeeeey beautiful. Did I tell you how nice that tan is? You look great spread all over the internet, I look wet and ridiculous. Couldn’t even put out a good shot of me shirtless could they?”

“We’ll be gay icons soon, give it a little bit and you in trunks will be in more wank banks that it is already.” Richard teased and flopped back on the bed, holding Lee up above him at prime drop-phone-on-your-face angle.

“Don’t…not while you’re laying there all nice and neat on rumpled hotel sheets.” Lee whined, sitting forward slightly as if he could get closer. “And they’re not trunks!” He protest, expressive brows frowning ever so slightly

“I know, I know. And you look pretty good in them too, although I imagine getting out of them is a bit of a bugger.”

“Peel them off you, not that I’ve ever had to get them off me in a hurry, haven’t had an erection in them either.” He gave a crooked grin that gave heat to his sweet face. “But you might break a habit of a life time right now.”

“I’m going to ignore that because I know for a fact I have a double chin at this angle.”

“Who said a double chin can’t be sexy! It’s a teeny one anyway.”

“Thanks.” Lee glanced around and there was a sound of people chatting as they passed him. “How is it?”

“Hmm? Oh, we pretty much all avoid each other during competitions so it’s not like I’d be shoved out the group anyway. Got stink eye off a few, encouraging smiles from others and the rest ignored my like usual.”

“What about the relay?”

“Well no-one went running to say they couldn’t compete with me. They’re pretty chill guys so…yeah it’s fine.” That last bit did not sound genuine so Richard cocked an eyebrow at him. “Coach doesn’t give a shit cause she thinks you’re good for me, plus the media are being kept away. US Olympic commission wants a word, and USA Swimming too but I don’t think it’s to caution me or anything. Prob to let me know how they’re gonna deal with Westboro and stuff.”

“Fucking hell.”

“My agent called me about it last night, don’t worry.”

“Are you going to have to move training bases?”

Lee shrugged one broad shoulder, “See how it goes.”

“I’m sorry.” Richard took one hand off his phone to press a kiss to his fingers and then touch them over Lee’s forehead on his screen.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.”

“So, has the Ballet said anything to you?”

“Only to let me know they’re going to dress me up in tight and/or skimpy clothes and make me dance around while people pay lots of money to watch.”

“Business as usual then.”

“Yep. I better go, your parents will be wondering where I am.” Lee made a protesting noise, making his eyes huge and pleading as Richard gingerly sat up so he did not drop his phone.  “You’ll be moving into this hotel room tomorrow night, patience.”

  “Winning get’s me pumped up yanno, I wanna…” He seemed to realise he was sat in out in the open and looked sheepish, “Winning makes me wanna do naughty things.”

“Win a gold tonight and you’ll have all the naughty things tomorrow.”

 

They did win a gold, they also smashed the Men’s Swimming 4X400m world record by a good seven seconds and Lee nearly slipped into the pool as he jumped around yelling with the others.

  “That boy! Tryin’a kill himself a’fore he’s even got the dam medal.” Jim grunted as the guys who swam first and third leg grabbed Lee and dragged him from the edge of the pool, all of them laughing.

  Richard was aware of eyes on him as he followed Lee’s parents down to where the families were gathering and kept his head down like he always did, concentrating on the steep steps and what Charlotte was saying to him. They had had cameras flicked to him semi regularly during the lead up to the relay final and a few now purposefully pointed towards him when he joined the crowd of winners families, Richard wrapped his Union Jack back around his shoulders so everyone knew he had been supporting the British boys that had come in fifth. That got a BBC minion approaching him asking if he would like to speak to them after the medals, which Charlotte nudged him into agreeing to.

Some people booed when Lee jumped up onto the podium with the rest of the team to get his medal but the stadium cheered louder to try and drown them out. Richard could tell from his face that Lee had not heard it and was relived for him, this was not a moment for personal attacks, it was just a shame that Lee’s parents had definitely heard. It hurt him to see Charlotte’s joy tinged with pain and Jim’s with anger knowing it would kill his parents to see people turn on him like that.

  Lee took a little longer to get to them this time and they had to be more conscious of not hogging the railing as there were twelve medallists wanting to see their families this time around. Richard slipped past Lee’s parents to duck under the rail again, having this bouquet of flowers presented to him with a flourish that made him smile. The sound of the boo’s had not left him as he leant right over the bar to press their lips together, the kiss firmer than last time, then pressed his cheek to Lee’s so he could speak to him quietly.

“Well done, I’m so, so, so proud of you. But some people were booing when you went to get your medal, they got drowned out but we all heard. Your parents heard.” He kissed Lee’s cheek and pulled back. “I’m sorry.”

  The exhilaration of winning was still in Lee’s eyes, his face glowing with it, but his mouth had taken on an unhappy line that was the closest Richard had ever gotten to seeing Lee angry.

 Lee glanced at the cameras and cupped Richard’s face in his hands. “I’m gonna tell the press I’m pissed about it, that okay?”

“Go get ‘em. BBC wanna talk to me, I said yes.”

Lee kiss his cheek. “Go be beautiful and adorable, do me proud.”

“Idiot!” Richard called after him as Lee strode off, the anger Richard had just seen replaced with his charming smile.

He was relieved when he saw it was Clare ‘publicly married to a woman’ Balding who wanted to interview him. She gushed to the camera about him as a Ballet dancer, making Richard blush, he already felt silly sitting on a too small stool so he was in shot, while she recounted the times she had seen him perform and the music videos he had been in. She asked him about the swimming he had seen, if he had had a long standing interest, about what he thought of Team GB, how happy Lee must be to have a world record, if there was any other events he wanted to see, and what he had seen of Rio.

 She did not mention the booing until after she had said the immortal line, ‘Back to you in the studio.’ She leant across the small table between them, hand coming to rest near his arm. “The mic’s picked up the booing, as you can imagine I’m disgusted. I wanted to say I admire your strength in not reacting to it, I'll be honest I wouldn't have held it together so well."

 "I'm not really one for reacting...I was more worried for Jim and Charlotte, Lee's mum and dad, and how that must have felt for them."

 Clare shook her head solemnly, "I just hope it doesn't tarnish how proud they are right now. Our commentators were quite stunned, naturally, and condemned it but I’m afraid it’ll make the news.”

“Lee didn’t hear but I told him when he came to see us, he was _not_ happy…”

“I'm not surprised!”

“He went to show his displeasure in the TV interviews, so they might have even more to show on the news.”

“I don’t think he’ll say anything stupid. He seems very sensible.”

“He is, surprisingly. Doesn’t like to let on about it.”

Clare laughed, wrote her number down on a corner of her notes and ripped it off to give to him. “Just in case you need to talk, or back up - now, can I have a picture? Alice will be so jealous…”

    

                                                                   --------------

 

Lee was leant in the doorway with a hand on his hip, sweatpants sitting low and tank top just brushing their waistband. He was broad while being incredibly lean, hair a bit damp at the sides and pushed back rakishly – but that might have just been the effect of his easy lopsided smile and the glint in his eye.

 Richard was just considering how oddly pale Lee looked after spending so long around people who had turned a lovely golden brown (or angry sunburnt red, including a traitorous spot on the back of his shoulders) when he realised that Lee was here, in his hotel room.

  He glanced at his watch. Lee was supposed to be having dinner with his parents in ten minuets, coming to see Richard afterwards. “You’re getting more and more late while standing there looking at me.”

“Mom called, they’ve just started coming down from Sugarloaf Mountain. Got an hour to kill.”

“How did you get in my room?”

Lee chuckled, “Hello to you too! Everyone knows who we are.  You comfy there?”

Richard peered at himself, wrong way around on a sun lounger with his legs supported by the headrest, half on the balcony so he could appreciate the weather whilst having the cool air of the room washing over him. “Extremely.  So, show us them medals.”

Lee scooped up his bag, kicking the door closed as he strolled closer, sitting on the correct end of the lounger so he could lean back on the headrest as he dug through his bag for two polished wood cases which he laid on Richard’s chest.

 A picture of Richard biting one of the medals like he was testing the gold got uploaded to Instagram, the number of likes ticking steadily upward as Lee showed it to him. “You and your social media.”

“Old man.” Lee teased, wrapping his hand around Richard’s ankle, smoothing it gently up his leg.

“So, what you wanna do for an hour?” Richard asked as Lee’s head rested on his shin. “Catch up on some TV? Or do you wanna unpack? I’ll even get up and help you, as you’ve been busy winning everything.”

 Lee paused with his lips pressed to Richard’s ankle bone and sat up, “Yeah sure, if you wanna do that. I’m easy.”

“I know you are.” Richard stuck his legs straight up in the air when Lee went to tickle him, letting his feet drop to rest on Lee’s back when he wrapped strong arms around his thighs and leant into them. Richard gently tapped his heels on Lee’s back as he grinned up at him. “I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you too, asshole.”

 Richard got more comfortable on the bed pillow under his head and carefully put his Kindle on the floor. “Come on up here, then.”

 Lee paused a moment, wiggling his lower body to make the lounger creak and shift alarmingly. “Can I suggest the bed, so we don’t have to replace this when we inevitably break it?”

“Mmmm fair enough.” When Lee dropped down to kiss him, he tasted like salt.

 Richard pushed the lounger back onto the balcony so he could close the screen doors and pull the curtains securely, the evening light filtering through to give the room a dull glow. Lee was already down to his boxers when Richard turned back to the bed, sat against the headboard in all his long limbed magnificence with is hair haphazardly neatened and an unusually intense look on his face.

  “You look great with that tan.” Lee stated when Richard pulled his t-shirt off, mossy hazel eyes skipping over his torso.

 “It’s strange to see myself so brown.” Richard mused, holding his hands out to look at them. He knew being tall, pale, and graceful were very much in at the moment but he felt strangely sexy being a pale caramel as he slipped out of his shorts and climbed onto the bed to sit in Lee’s lap with his palms pressed to the firm muscle of his pec’s.

 Warm, soft hands skimmed up his back to pull Richard in but at the last moment he ducked his head down to kiss just under Lee’s ear, making his way down to press his lips along the straight line of Lee’s collar bone. The body under his hands wiggled as Lee let out a protesting noise so Richard straightened, planting his hands on the headboard as he leant down to kiss Lee’s smiling mouth. Fingers slid into his hair and pulled him in deeper as an expert tongue slid carefully against his own, Lee’s other hand cupping him through the front of his briefs.

 Richard gasped, shuffling closer to the warmth of the hand as Lee kissed along his jaw. “I missed you. Could hardly sleep knowing you were here on your own, so close to me.”

“Rather catch up on your sleep then?” Richard breathed, taking a hand off the wall to cup the back of Lee’s neck, skin so warm and smooth and slick with sweat.

“You’re such an asshole.”

Richard pecked Lee on the lips, “I missed you too, my love.” He kissed him again before trailing his lips noisily down Lee’s torso as he tugged at the waistband of Lee’s boxers until his dick came free and nudged at Richard’s wrist. He held Lee’s bright gaze as he slowly licked the palm of his hand, smiling as Lee’s teeth bit into a plump lower lip before wrapping it around the base of Lee’s cock as he bent to it, sliding his lips down to brush against his own fingers as he luxuriated in steadily taking more and more of Lee’s cock into his mouth, making a few dirty noises that had Lee twitching against his tongue and fingers pull his hair so bright sparks of pain tingled on his scalp.

   He just managed to take it all in, the smooth tip sliding against the back of his throat daring him to choke while the hot, hard length of Lee’s cock pressed into Richard’s tongue, before he pulled off totally to kiss the whine off Lee’s lips. “Move down a bit.” Richard murmured against his jaw and Lee shuffled down the bed obediently so he was not sat up like he was expecting breakfast in bed any moment.

  Lee stopped Richard from going back to sucking his cock with hands on his shoulders, moaning loudly and seemingly forgetting what he was doing when Richard looked up at him through his lashes with his lips just brushing his cockhead. “I want…shit, would you come round the side a bit?”

“What?”

“Bring your ass closer please. If you have no objections I was gonna go find your prostate.”

Richard looked from Lee’s flushing, slightly frustrated face to the  fingers on the hand that was vaguely indicating where he would like Richard to move to.

“Okay…” Richard scooted off the edge of the bed to go and get the lube from his bag in the bottom of the wardrobe, taking a moment to think about it before grabbing the condoms too so he would not have to make two trips. 

 “Love you.” Lee grinned as Richard crawled back on the bed, pulling him in close by the back of his neck to kiss him. Richard murmured the same back against his lips, rolling his back up against Lee’s hand as it took the leisurely route down to grab his ass.

Sheets dragged against his shins as he shuffled around to Lee’s cock, taking it in hand loosely while Lee got the lube open. Richard glanced around at Lee when a warm hand slipped down the back of his briefs, pulling the soft fabric tighter over his dick and making his eyes flutter, biting his lip against a moan as the pad of one slick finger went exploring between his cheeks. “You got such a cute little pink hole.” Lee murmured as he looked at Richard, eyes wide and intent as Richard turned his head to be able to mouth at Lee’s balls when the finger applied enough pressure to drag out that breathless feeling of being penetrated.

   The angle was strange but by the time Lee was easing a second finger into him Richard had worked out the technicalities of it and got a rhythm going between his hand and his mouth and the times he would relax his jaw to accommodate the smooth mass as he let the head nudge against the back of his throat with an exaggerated wet noise. Lee’s fingers in his hair would tense then, his hips jerking up a little to try and follow the tightness as Richard pulled his mouth back, never guiding or controlling his actions just moaning encouragements and telling him how good he felt as he twisted his long fingers inside him.

  The bump of two fingertips pressing against his prostate came unexpectedly, the moan it jolted from Richard coming at the inopportune moment of the tip of Lee’s cock nudging his soft palette and he ended up choking. Richard turned his face away as he knelt up, not wanting Lee to see his eyes watering as he tried to stop coughing, wincing when fingers were pulled out of his ass which only made it worse.

“Shit, shit…” Lee was hissing as he flailed around behind Richard for a moment before a bottle of water appeared over his shoulder and a hand was rubbing between his shoulder blades. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…of course you know I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry!” Lee’s babbling was oddly soothing as Richard gulped down some water, heaving a few gulps of air to calm his breathing.

 “I’m good, I’m good.” Richard reassured, smiling as Lee wrapped his arms around his chest and buried his face in the back of his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Richard patted Lee’s hand then shuffled around on his knees to face Lee, cupping his soft cheeks to make his slightly frightened eyes meet his. “It’s okay Lee, I’m fine. It was an accident. Are you alright?”

Lee looked taken aback, arms loosening around Richard for a moment. “Am I alright? I’m the fucking idiot…”

“Lee, answer me please.”

Lee tightened his arms, tugging Richard even closer, “Yeah, just got scared is all.” Lee muttered as he pressed kisses all over Richard’s heated face until they were both smiling again.

 “Well,” Lee sighed, looking down between them, “looks like our dicks got bored and went home.” He glanced up at Richard when he laughed, small smile so pleased and relieved he had to kiss the edge of it.

“I think we could salvage this.”

“Sure? That’s…” Richard cut Lee off by tugging him forward with hands in his hair as he went straight in for a dirty opened mouth kiss, rocking forward on his knees to press their chests together, moaning when Lee dug nails into the meat of his thigh, pulling it around so it was hooked over Lee’s hip making it possible for them to rut against one another.

  “I was gonna…I wanted to…” Lee lost track of what he was saying in Richard’s neck, moaning deeply between sucking kisses.

“Yes, whatever you want.”

 Richard went willingly when Lee laid him down on the bed, running his hands over Lee’s shoulders as he indulged his fussing over the pillows for Richard’s comfort. Lee knew he was far from delicate but he still acted like it at times, occasionally Richard even let him get away with it. He mused on how it felt nice being on the other end of the safe pair of hands for once before Lee had him gasping and trying not to writhe right off the bed.

 

 

    He lay bundled up in bed sheets with his head pressed into a pillow that had caught the scent of Lee’s hair, listening to the comforting patter of the shower and the noise of the traffic outside, trying to work out if the rapid Portuguese he could hear from a few rooms over was singing or arguing.

 The shower shut off and Lee began singing vaguely as he crashed about the bathroom getting ready and thoroughly spoiling Richard’s peace, not that he ever minded.

 He had it bad.

 Lee shuffled over to the bed doing up his shirt which from the pull at his shoulders Richard thought might be one of his. He was about to say so when Lee knelt on the bed and then collapsed down on his side with a huff, flopping over onto his back. “I’m gonna fall asleep at dinner.”

 “You just won two Olympic's, they’ll understand.”

With a rustle of the pillow Lee turned his head to look at Richard, the light hitting the curve of his cheekbone, then he turned so he was curled up on his side again with his face on the pillow next to Richard. “Rather stay here with you. You gonna have a nap?”

“Mmm no. Shower then eat, and then lay seductively and await your return.”

“Oooo, I like the sound of that.”

“No guarantee I won’t fall asleep while being seductive.”

   Lee smiled, looking so content; he pressed his hands against his chest and curled his legs up so their knees were touching, but remained silently looking at Richard.

“What?” He asked after a while, the attention making him uncomfortable.

“Was just thinking about you…”

When more was not forthcoming Richard asked, “What about me?”

“Everything I didn’t know I couldn’t live without.”

There was nothing Richard could think to say to that, in fact he was not sure there was anything to say that was not a lecture on why tying your life up so tightly in someone else was asking for disaster. But Richard was not going to be that boyfriend again, not with Lee, “What did I ever do to deserve such a gorgeous, romantic idiot of a boyfriend?”

“Gorgeous? I look like a monkey.” Richard sighed. “What! I do. You’re the looks of this partnership.”

“If I’m the looks then we’re doomed…” Lee was suddenly on his knees, dry hands that smelt of shampoo holding Richard’s face as he was kissed firmly, fingers going to grip at Lee’s shirt and hair at the force of it.

 They were both breathless when Lee finally pulled away; Richard’s lips tingled pleasantly as he rolled the taste of Lee’s toothpaste around his mouth. Lee was looking at him with such fierceness in his eyes it made Richard blink as they looked at each other for a moment.

“You need to go have dinner with your…”

“Oh shit.” Lee let Richard go and stumbled off the bed, running over to the door to put his flip flops on before hurrying back to kiss Richard goodbye and then he was bustling out the door yelling at Richard for laughing at him.

 

 

 


	5. Austin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be mindful of the warning tag's I've added.

 

"Got you peeing in bottles too, huh?”

 Lee glanced up from watching his own toes wiggle in his flip flops and smiled at Matt as he swaggered down the corridor towards him.

“Hey man.” He got up to grasp hands and bump chests before flopping down into his seat again. “What are all those forms for?” He nodded to handful of paper Matt was reading through while gripping a biro in his teeth.

“Decawation, urgh…” He took the pen out. “Declaration form, for the anti-inflammatories I was on for my ‘lats at the start of the month.”

“They were legal though?”

“Yeaaaah, but I ain’t takin’ no chances. I’m not being made an example of for the rigorous drugs tests of our noble sport; I need sponsors to pay my mortgage.”

 Lee let Matt check over his paperwork in silence, watching the woman sat opposite them play on her phone while her friend dozed next to her.

 “Does your guy have to do this?” Matt asked absently as he filled in a block of tick boxes.

“Huh?”

“Drugs tests, do Ballerina’s have to do this?”

“He’s not a Ballerina.” Lee snapped, automatically pissy about it because over the past year most people who referred to Richard like that did not mean anything but mockery by it.

“Wha…oh, didn’t mean that. I’m distracted, sorry.”

“He’s had to do a few for recreational drugs to, like, make sure they’re up to it. And I think he’s had a few for Amphetamines.”

“Shiiit.”

“Some dancers take it for weight loss believe it or not.”

Matt shook his head at his paperwork, chewing on his pen now as nerves started to get the better of him. Lee was nervous too, he knew that he had never even considered taking a performance enhancer and he trusted his team completely that they would _not_ dope him, but you never knew for sure until the test came back.

  The woman opposite was looking at them now, Lee could feel it, so went back to his toes hoping she would go back to her game. He heard her quietly wake her friend and assumed a silent conversation was going on as the only sounds were the quiet radio coming from behind one of the closed doors and the rustle of Matt next to him. “You’ve been spotted.” He muttered around his pen, grinning when Lee glanced at him.

 “Excuse me,” The woman who had been napping spoke, sitting forward on her seat as she pushed her braids off of her face, “you’re Lee Pace right.”

“Yep, that’s me. You’re on the Athletic’s team?”

“Long Jump, I’m Coco.”

“Nice to meet you, could be under better circumstances…”

“Yeah.” She smiled and Lee noticed her dimples. “Just wanted to say that what you guys did at Rio last year, you and Richa…you and your partner, gave my cousin so much hope. Well, I think a dream was crushed too cause he _loved_ that Sia video.”

 “It was very artfully shot.” Matt put in, not bothering to look up from his forms as Lee glared at him. Yeah, Lee was glad he was not the jealous type because some of the shots from the second video Richard had shot with her were bordering on a little too ‘artistic’.

“Yeah…” She agreed then seemed to remember who she was talking to. “Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for being so open, and how you handled it after.”

 

It had not quite been a shit storm after Rio, most people had gotten on with their lives as Fox News had started foaming at the mouth about the exposure of children to the homosexuality of someone who should be their role-model and that Lee should have kept it to himself like the dirty secret it was.

   They had tried to find dirt on Richard but it was amazing how solidly closed the ranks of the Ballet world were. They could only show footage of him dancing so beautifully Lee would feel the need to tell him how wonderful he was, or images of him grinning in group photo’s at school with Lara usually next to him. There had been one of Graham with his hand on Richard’s waist in the platonic way he had that was claimed to be recent and scandalous but that was retracted with many apologies the next day after a very scathing statement from Richard via the Ballet making it clear the picture was from Graham’s wedding six years ago. That, ‘Fox News journalist’s have failed to see in their close analysis that my hair hasn’t been that colour for years’, which much to Richard's confusion had become a meme.

  Lee had never been so proud.

Of course everyone had wanted to talk to them, magazines, websites, TV shows; at first they were united in saying no, not making a big deal out of it and therefore normalising what was essentially normal. Then the Daily Show had asked Lee to come on and take the piss out of everyone decrying him so he had gone to do that wearing all his medals, and then Zenga had asked Richard to be artfully balletic for a menswear shoot with Chris Evans which he accepted because it was his job. Doing those high profile things meant saying no to LGBT+ press had become increasingly stupid. So they had done a spate of separate interviews and one together when they were both in London in which they had been so ridiculously adorable Lee’s twitter was full of people coo-ing over them (along with the usual crowd telling him he was dirty and needed to die) and Richard’s mum had even kept a copy.

 After that they had kept on the down low. A picture of them out and about did appear a few times; them on the subway, them wandering down a street lost as fuck, Lee walking Richard home from the Ballet, Lee in Heathrow, Lee waiting for Richard at Dallas Airport, but never any of Richard as he had an amazing ability to avoid cameras.

 

 “Just going about our business is all, living out lives, but…I’m glad it helped your cousin.”

And that was the most beautiful thing about the past twelve months, the people who said they had helped them. What was a better mark to leave on the world than that?

“Yeah, he’s a lot more comfortable with himself now…”

  Lee’s name was called so he got to his feet, patting Matt on the shoulder and in passing said to Coco. “By the way, tell your brother the Sia video is all lies. Richard’s a terrible nerd in real life.”

Coco laughed, “Trust me that’ll just make it worse. You stay safe now, and let Richard know Austin was wishing him well the whole time.”

 That almost made him pause, so used to people not knowing, “I will, thank you. Will mean a lot to him.”

     

                                                               -----------------

 

It had happened not that long after life as normal resumed after Rio. Lee had been on his way to get the protein lunch of champions with the guys when the call from Richard’s number came through. His greeting of, “Hey bubble-butt!” had been met with Lara’s incredulous laughter instead of the usual affectionate sigh.

“How are you still alive?” She had asked before remembering her purpose, “Don’t worry, but in dress rehearsal Richard came down hard out of a series of those huge _jete e tournant_ he does. They think it’s a sprain, a Grade II sprain. I’ve driven Graham and him to St.Guy’s … for a…St.Guy’s & Thomas’, for an x-ray and stuff. You know hardly anyone raised an eyebrow when I came into the café in half my costume and trainers? The whole A&E had a look when Richard got carried in…Lee…Lee you really got to stop asking questions I’ve only got one mouth…”

  Lee had spent the whole day sat pensively by his phone, or holding his phone, or trying to watch TV but thinking about his phone waiting for news. He had been fretting about going to evening training when, finally,  a very groggy Richard had called him to give him the vague, painkiller fuzzed series of events and what Graham had said, “….six weeks resting the, my foot. To be strong again…yeah uh, strong enough to use it. Then he’ll start physio on it. Two months eerr…… I’ll be out two months.”

Of course Lee had panicked, he had never recovered from the fact Richard had his legs insured for actual money. His own physiotherapist got bugged so much about the in’s and out’s of ankle sprains that Coach told him to leave the poor man alone. When Lee got a more lucid Richard on Skype a few days later he asked so many questions about the diagnosis and treatment he was told very firmly that the rest of the world did manage to function without American intervention, thank you.

 

  **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace_ : Y’all gimmie some ideas of what to do sitting down, bae LITERALLY cannot sit still. #HEALTHYSELF.

 

 **English National Ballet** _@ENBallet_ : Don’t worry @swimmerpace we’ve got him sewing crystals on costumes to keep him out of mischief.

 

 **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace:_ @ENBallet get him to darn some tights, be super useful #workwillsetufree

**English National Ballet** _@ENBallet_ : _@swimmerpace_ We are so lucky he doesn’t have a twitter, we’d be in so much trouble.

 

 **Hermione Norris** _@HermNorris_ : @swimmerpace @ENBallet, no but I do. What is my silence worth?

 

 **English National Ballet** _@ENBallet_ : @HermNorris @swimmerpace Free cantine food? This pair of point shoes? A lift home? Fear & awe?

 

 **Hermione Norris** _@HermN_ : @ENBallet @swimmerpace The fear and awe sound’s good.

 

 **Lee Pace** _@swimmerpace:_ @ENBallet @HermNorris SHE ALREADY TOLD HIM. Don’t worry guys he’s found his cello again panic over

 

Richard had actually been fixing a pair of his ballet shoes at the time of the tweets, waving them threateningly at Lee over Skype that afternoon looking happy and rounder faced than usual with a beard that had grown with alarming speed.

 “I dig this new look by the way.”

“What, invalide chic?”

Lee had laughed at that, “Nooo, you look far too well fed…”

“You’re doing well tonight.” Richard had smiled, “Mocking a poor injured person like me in public and to his face.”

“I’m not mocking you! I like it.”

“You like it?” Richard had sounded sceptical so Lee had leant closer to the screen making sure his voice was low and eyes were sincere.

“I dig it, I said so. I want to…to bury my face in the softness over our muscles…”

Richard had not looked like he knew how to react to that so had settled for shocked and charmed. “I think I’d quite like that, even if I’m not as fat as everyone is trying to make me by bringing me food… You really do like the thought of me chubby don’t you?”

Lee did, Richard's body was usually a very powerful whipcord of elegant lines that was almost intimidating. Lee had taken a while to get used to how solid he was, so this was something unexpected and new - Lee liked new experiences, “Dude, I am just as surprised as you. I’m getting hard thinking about it…”

“Oh really?” Richard had looked positively naughty just then and Lee had really wished he had been in London. “Hermione isn’t around…it’s just us…”

Lee had yanked off his top and wiggled his hips out of his sweatpants, sinking down in his chair so Richard had a good view of his torso and head as he had taken his cock in hand.

“Gonna tell me all about it?”

“Tell you all about what?” Richard had purred, Lee’s MacBook speakers not able to ruin the rumble of his voice. “My soft edges, the feel of being really able to dig your fingers into flesh, bit’s jiggling that usually don’t, and the one’s that do really going for it. Can you imagine my inner thigh’s being soft instead of hard muscle? How that would feel under your hands, the give of it under your teeth. And my ass…”

 There had followed one of the hottest moment’s in Lee’s life, Richard’s voice soothing him to orgasm just by talking about what Lee had known had been an exaggeration of his body but all the same… He had laughed his head off at Richard who, afterwards, had gone maroon and was diligently back to repairing his shoes.

   Richard was fine now, gone back to wearing tights for money, which was fantastic as he had been on the brink of climbing the walls even with going to physiotherapy. Lee could not be happier that Richard was back to doing what he loved, that he was no longer trying not to mope, but he missed him so much. Being back on stage meant rehearsals and performances and costume fittings so he was not there to Skype with Lee that much any more, and even though it had only been over a month the hole left in Lee’s day’s was gaping. He had no idea what he had done with himself before Richard was injured.

                            

                                                     -------------------

 

 Lee sighed as he got in his car after the drugs test was finished, flopping back in his seat wondering what he was going to do in the hours before Richard would come online as he counted the tops of the placards he could see over the wall. Only four westboro assholes today, telling him that the God he knew loved him just like his parents did was going to burn him eternally in a pit of fire.

“Just what I fucking need.” Lee growled to himself as he wound up the windows and blared the radio hoping the traffic was good so he could escape them quickly.

 

   Carl must have sensed how fed up Lee was because he had lain with his snout on Lee’s shoulder for the past half hour while he sat staring at his Skype waiting for Richard to come online. It was nearly one in the morning in London, the time Richard usually came on to chat for an hour when he got back from the theatre to wind down before bed.

  The call made both Lee and Carl jump, and he found himself beaming when the screen slipped from black into Richards face as he dried his hair with a towel, cooing at Carl as he sniffed at the screen to try and work out how Richard kept appearing in Lee’s strange warm box. Richard’s eyes slid from Carl to Lee and his expression slipped.

He dropped the towel from his head, hair wild, “What’s happened?”

Lee glanced at himself in the small box in the corner of the screen and was surprised to see how puffy eyed and melancholy he looked, the hard training session he had put in to burn some frustration had not gone well and left him feeling strangely vulnerable. “I…it’s been a bad day…”

“Oh darling, what went wrong? Was it the drugs test?”

“Nah that was fine. Was a uhhh…athlete there that recognised me actually and told me that her cousin a little crush on you,” Richard’s concern become pink tinged, “an that we helped him a lot with Rio and stuff.”

“That’s good…” Richard sounded unsure, most likely wondering why this would make Lee sad.

“It was great to hear, then it just got… basically I miss you and Westboro keep picketing me, and I know what can sort out both.”

They sat in silence, thousands of miles away from one other, taking in what Lee just said. Richard ran a hand through his hair and let it drop to his lap. This was not a new conversation, Lee hated that they were spending their precious time talking about this . “I keep telling you New York is closer…”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.”

“I know, I know. You can’t be chased away by them or they’ll think they won.”

“I’ll be with the man I love, they won’t have won.”

“Just…don’t be hasty. I know I keep saying the same thing but…don’t let it damage you.”

“What do you think I'm doing? They’re gonna get to me I’m not a robot. Then I’ll loose races and sponsorship and my place in the team, get depressed, probably start drinking and you’ll have to take a year out to come hold my hand and I don’t wanna even think of the possibility that I’d drive you away…”

“It would never come to that!” Richard snapped, not hiding how offended he looked but Lee did not move to apologise, the past month had taught him being realistic was supposed to hurt.

“Who knows, I’m seriously considering it anyway. I’ll talk to the fam this weekend.”

“I mean, if you could transfer I could always try and audition for the New York…”

“No!” Lee said more sharply than he meant, making Carl look over from where he was curled up on the other end of the couch . “No, don’t you do that.”

“It’ll be far easier for me to move…”

“No, Richard. I am the one unhappy where I am, you’re not. It won’t be fair if you come here just for me.”

“It’s no small thing Lee. This will disrupt your training, moving Ballet companies won’t disrupt anything for me…”

 “You’ll still be in New York. That’s a four hour flight away, it won’t solve anything. I still won’t be with you and I can’t concentrate, I can’t find the will to care when you’re not…we can’t spend years like this. I thought way back, three years ago, that we could live like this but that was when I didn’t realise what being in love can do to you. It fucking hurts man.”

  “Lee…I…” Richard gave him one of his long looks that meant he was making up his mind and that heels might be dug in any moment. Lee loved him but he was a stubborn son of a bitch. He sighed, propping his chin on his hand and trying not to smile, “Okay, I’ll keep an eye on places to live.”

 “Where _we_ can live.” Lee said, knowing he sounded soppy.

“Yeah, _our house.”_

 _“_ Our house, I like the sound of that.”

“Me too.”

 

                                                                       ---------------------

   

 “What you gotta remember, sweetie, is that you are so much better than them. A life lived full of hate is no life at all.” Lee looked down at his mom’s slender hand clutching his so tightly they no longer trembled, moving to cover it with his other one.

  Going to Church with his mom that Sunday was supposed to be a chance to clear his mind, to centre himself, to ask for strength to not only get the valued opinion of his family but to take whatever they said, be it supportive or not, into consideration. It was supposed to be a day of peace and self-reflection but they had gone to the car afterwards to find someone had sprayed ‘FAG’ over each of the doors and ripped the wing-mirrors off.

 One of he congregation whose son owned a garage had offered to get it fixed and another who owned a taxi business had arranged a lift home for them. Lee had been seething but his mom was so shaken he had kept his cool, explaining to Sally in hushed tones when they got home what had happened so she could tell their dad while Lee went to sit out on the porch with his mom.

“They did that to you today, because of me. I didn’t think…when I did what I did in Rio, I didn’t think it through. I was so rash. I’m sorry mom.”

“Don’t, Lee. Don’t be sorry. You’re my boy, I’d protect my kids all your lives if I could. I was just in shock, was all. Next time I won’t give a shit.”

“Ma…”

“I’ll be fine. That car will come back cleaner than it’s ever been anyways.”

“Ma…”

“They’ll get bored or arrested soon.”

“Ma, I’m thinking of moving to England.”

“Because of this!?”

Lee took a deep breath just as his dad strode out onto the back porch.

“I’ve spoken to the cops, this is criminal damage and I want them to look out for that bastard…”

“Jim, Lee wants to move to England!”

Lee’s dad, having been stopped mid flow, took a moment to gather himself before coming closer to the bench at the end of the porch. “You’re not running away because of a petty little thing like this?”

“I thought you said it was criminal damage?” Lee smiled, knowing it was small and scared when his dad did not bluster in reply, instead easing himself down on the other side of his Mom. “No, not just because of the car…I’m not happy, really. Training is going okay, but I know I’m going through the motions and Coach know’s I’m going through the motions and is waiting for me to get my head right. Being picketed just makes it worse and…and I really miss Richard.”

“Oh Lee.” His Mom cooed, wiping her glistening eyes with jerking hands before grabbing both of his as his Dad reached across the back of the bench to slap Lee reassuringly on the back.

“I talk to him and I feel so much better. I… I don’t wanna be here feeling like this when I could be there and feeling better. I don't wanna feel like I'm failing when i can be with him and feel like an Olympic Champion again. It won’t be permanent, I might just need several months a year to...”

“You take as much time as you need, Lee.” His Dad grunted. “Don’t come running back here because you feel you have to, not as if you won’t come back and visit us all.”

“We’ve got Sally and Will to look out for us, and they have one another. We’ll miss you…”

“Miss the hell outta you, son.”

“…but you’ve got to live your life okay?”

Lee nodded, sitting in silence with them a moment before footfall’s alerted them to Sally’s presence on the porch.

“I’m just happy you’re getting your act together, the guy flew to Rio to sit in a humid stadium for days just to watch you swim for ten minuets, voluntarily! I used to have to spend whole Saturday mornings sat on those hard seats at the pool waiting for you to stop splashing around.” Sally grumbled.

“You used to get homework done.” Their mom reminded gently.

“Could have done that at home.” Sally looked at Lee, “You got a good thing there, I love you but I’d never sit in a pool for you ever again.” She came closer trying not to smile,” Lee, someone who hangs out with all the high brow arty people and sir’s has fallen in love with you! You! He’s a keeper, go to him.”

“What do you mean ‘you’!?”

“You know…”

“I know about art! And literature!”

“Yeah but…” She motioned at Lee up at down and then ran off when he leapt up to grab her.

 

                                                           -------------------

 

Everyone else had gone home by the time Lee dragged himself out of the pool, taking the opportunity of the endless laps of endurance training to think about things. He sat a while in the locker room with a damp towel over his knee’s staring at the damp tiles deep in thought; it had already taken him a week to summon the courage to talk to Coach about this and he almost called Sally for a pep talk.

  The light was on in the coaching office as he shuffled towards the exit with his backpack over one shoulder and Lee found himself clutching his phone so hard it would leave dents on his fingers as he stood staring at it.

Lee knocked on the door and Coach waved him in.

“This about where your head has been at all this time?” She asked, looking up from her laptop at Lee who was standing in the middle of her office awkwardly, waving to one of the spare chairs for him to fold himself into.

“Yeah.”

“About Richard?”

“Yes.”

“He was injured wasn’t he? Back now though, that’s good -will have to talk to him about the treatment they have over there.”

Lee was surprised Coach knew about that, she was busy enough without keeping an eye on Lee’s boyfriend. “Sprained ankle.”

“Painful, but sprains happen all the time.” She looked down at her computer again, “So I know your head not being in the right place isn’t to do with that.”

“No it’s not…”

“Go on.”

“I need to go there, to England. I need to go over there cause him not being with me is what is causing this and him coming here is not an option. I can swim anywhere but he’s worked to get where he is and I can’t ask him to drop all that for my problems.”

Coach sat back in her chair and gave Lee the same look she had given him when he had nearly blown a state championship six years ago. “You think doing what you want will help this situation? Or make the next time you start to go in the head even worse? Olympic champions can’t waver.”

“I can’t say. I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t continue like this and end up not placing at championships and fading out, Olympic champions don’t do that either.”

Coach nodded, tapping her fingers on the desk. “Okay, Bath University has space in their programme and I know one of the head coaches there. I can get you in if you want.”

“I…” Lee paused, narrowing his eyes at Coach. “You’ve been speaking to Richard, haven’t you?”

“I have, I’ll admit. You meet all kinds of people at the do’s in London I'd go to when I worked in Plymouth.” She gave Lee a slightly guilty look, “I may have got in contact to ask what the hell was up with you...”

 “Anna...”

“Don’t get angry with him for not saying anything. I told him I was going to tell you, but I didn’t get around to it. You’re not the only athlete that I work with.”

“I know, coach.”

“Your moping has been putting Bomer off, and others, that’s why I went and found out for myself. I work for the swim programme and every athlete, American or not, that comes to me for help. I do not work for your personal life, no matter how much I care about you personally. It’s because I care that I didn’t send you to the sports psychologists who’d come and tell me you just need to do horizontal tango with him to your get head out of a Freudian’s wet dream.”

Her tone was not joking, at all, her face was as stern as it ever was, but Lee had to hide a smile at the glint in her eyes.

“Thank you for being so understanding. I didn’t…you are the reason I have had the success I have…” She gave a nonchalant shrug, not that Lee expected her to shower him with praise for his ability and diligence – Anna was not one to nurture ego, “…and it would have killed me for you to think I was dropping you, that I wasn’t grateful…”

“It’s the nature of people; some need easing into change, some are restless and cannot stay doing one thing for ever. You knew what you were going to do when you retired before your career had even started! I knew you would be off at some point.” She gave him a look, turning back to her laptop when an email pinged through, “Didn’t think you’d be the one to loose your head over a boy, but there ya go. I only know almost everything.”

“Gotta have some surprises, otherwise the boredom would drive you mad.”

Coach laughed, flipping her laptop closed and pushing back from the desk in a long stretch. “You lot drive me mad enough as it is.” She stood up, and Lee followed. “Come on, you can give me a lift to that Korean place and we’ll discuss how the hell this’ll all work out over grilled meats.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SOOO MUCH for your Kudos and comments, that I have been v late in replying to soz, entertaining you all means a lot.


	6. Reading

 

The morning sunshine was coming in through the bay windows gently heating everything it touched. The ice edged  breeze signalling the rapid approach of autumn was shifting through the trees at the end of the garden while a bird sung frenetically but lyrically in a way that felt so nostalgic to Lee even though he had first heard that bird only a couple of months ago

He opened his eyes to peer at his laptop. The diet plan he was not having any success in writing was sat on a screen darkened by the sunlight, he needed to do it but was not prepared to move from his little sun spot to get it done. He sighed and turned his eyes to the more aesthetic sight of the spectrum of colours cast on the wall by the light slanting in through the windowpanes.

  A yip of excitement drew his attention from the office wall, through the living room straight out of the open patio door’s to the garden where Carl was wagging his tail so hard his butt was shaking, the appendage rattling the wire of Lee’s currently empty chicken coop. Lee had worried that the quarantine and change of country would not agree with Carl, he was not a young dog these days, but six months on Carl had taken to England like it was the best thing that had ever happened to him and was currently scampering around the garden after huge knotted rope like a puppy.

 Lee smiled absentmindedly as Carl bounded away down the garden chasing Richard who was holding the rope just out of reach. His hair was ruffled from sleep and the breeze; cheeks flushed with such a wonderful smile on his face as he held the rope over his head, the light glinting on his hand. Carl jumped up with his paws on his chest to try and get it, but decided licking Richard’s face was the way to go.

  The rope knot got chucked towards the house and sailed through the doors. Lee watched Carl clatter over the polished wooded floor to get it and then skidding as he tried to get traction as he trotted back out past Richard into the garden, rope swinging from his mouth.

  Lee decided this idyllic moment was the time to stretch from the tip of his toes to the top of his fingers, leaning all the way back in his office chair and luxuriating in it. A brush of a kiss on his lips had Lee grinning without bothering to open his eyes, by now used to Richard’s almost silent footfall, reaching out to smooth a hand up and down Richard’s side.

 Lee had decided nearly nine months ago when he had turned up at the National Ballet gym and Richard had quite literally flung himself at him shaking alarmingly that this was no temporary thing. The University of Bath, with only a little persuading from Anna, had agreed to let Lee use their facilities in return for the publicity his attendance would bring and giving pep talks to some of the kids. So the outer suburbs of Reading (a place Lee never knew even existed until Richard found a house there) was now their home, just over an hour by train from where they both needed to be for work.

  Even though England was so different to everywhere he had ever lived, from the driving to the weather to the TV, even though Richard had turned the big master bedroom into a practice room and they had the not quite as big second room as theirs (Lee had only agreed to it when he found out Richard was planning to knock the en suit through into the second room), he was at a greater peace than he had felt in a while.

 “Work’s going well then?” Richard murmured, smiling softly as he ran fingers through Lee’s hair.

 “It’s overstaying it’s welcome.”

“You gonna come play with your fam-a-wee?” Richard cooed, using the saccharine American accent he tended to talk to Carl in.

  Lee leant back to peer around Richard and into the garden where Carl was sprawled out in the sun with the rope knot still in his mouth. “Carl’s had his play time, I want my Richard time… my Dick time.”

“You were doing so well…”

  Richard was warm as Lee slipped his arms around him and pressed his face in to the hard lines of his stomach. “Dick time can be cuddling too.”

“Don’t try and save it.”

Lee gave Richard a squeeze as fingertips explored his shoulders, tipping his head back to lean his chin on Richard’s stomach so he could pick up Richard’s left hand and inspected his ring finger. “It suits you, soon to be Mr. Pace.”

Richard raised an eyebrow, “ So I’m going to be Mr. Pace am I?” He asked sceptically.

“No? Pace-Armitage then.”

“Pace-Armitage.” He tested the name thoughtfully. “We’ll sound like an accountancy firm.” He grinned wide so Lee kissed his knuckles.

  Moving across the world to live with your partner only meant one thing whether you were gay, straight, or neither. Lee's brother was the first to bring it up, bugging Lee when he was going to make an honest man out of Richard. That had been the pebble that started the avalanche of hints and questions from all his  family, some of Richard's, and half the National Ballet.

   Not that he was pressured in to it. Lee wanted this like he had never wanted anything before, it was making sure Richard wanted it. Richard who naturally had his cards to his chest and always took his time might not have that on the horizon for a few years yet. But Lee would not be here now, would not have this life if he did not go for it. So he had gone and been tempted by nine thousand pound diamond banded platinum rings, but had settled for a silver band with the date of their first meeting engraved into it in Roman numerals. 

  Lee had been strangely warmed by the fact Richard knew what the date was straight away, even more so than the stuttered, 'I...I...of course...get up for Gods sake! Of course I will", that had passed for a yes. Richard had not took his eyes off it the whole evening they had sat by their fire in the holiday cottage in the north east, had smiled the whole day they were out on a boat looking at the Puffins gathered on the Farne Islands.

 Judging from everyone's reaction to the story he had done quite well at this proposing thing. 

“I love you, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Not even your name”

 Richard kissed his palm and touched it to Lee’s cheek, “Love you too…you know, I got up early this morning to get my practice done.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m feeling bendy.”

Lee stood up, letting his hands linger on Richard’s lower back as he nudged in for a kiss, “You certainly feel great.”

Richard chose to ignore that with a helpless smile and an arched eyebrow. “How do you feel about going back to bed?”

“Well, cardio in the mornings is encouraged...”

“Then you better get in the gym and do it.” Richard said, just controlling his laughter as he twisted our of Lee’s arms.

“Why you gotta tease your fiancé like that? I won’t be able to concentrate all day!”

“You weren’t concentrating anyway! Come outside, savour the peace before your chickens arrive.”

Lee glanced at his laptop, he really did need to finish that, and sighed. Richard caught up his hands and swung them playfully between them. “Come outside for a bit, have lunch outside, walk Carl, and then I’ll help you write that.” He motioned with his chin at the laptop, “I could help you write it sitting in your lap?”

Despite knowing that would be the complete opposite of help he agreed whole heartedly as he was pulled outside by the drawstrings of his joggers. How did he ever live without this?

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it ends. Hope this little epilogue chapter is enough cute pay off to set you up for the week.
> 
> Thank you all for reading my little AU!


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